HYRUM \u2014 Sneaking up on the opposition was not an option for Mountain Crest\u2019s girls soccer team this past fall.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
After all, the Mustangs returned the lion\u2019s share of their impact performers from their 2021 4A state championship squad. Indeed, everyone was gunning for Mountain Crest in 2022.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Nevertheless, that didn\u2019t seem to faze the Mustangs one bit. In fact, it was something some of their players rather enjoyed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cIt was kind of cool because every game you would go in knowing that it would be a good game because everybody was just going to give it their all \u2014 both teams,\u201d MC outside back Bentli Barrera said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
And while there\u2019s no question opponents were extra motivated to beat the Mustangs during the 2022 campaign, it still proved to be a very tall order. Mountain Crest did lose three times this past fall \u2014 3-2 to a 16-1 Bonneville squad, arguably the premier program in Utah\u2019s 5A classification, and in penalty kick shootouts to 5A sides East and Woods Cross \u2014 but nobody from 4A managed to knock off the defending state champs. In fact, no 4A side was able to score against the Mustangs, although at least three goals were disallowed due to offside calls.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
It was an incredibly rare achievement for Mountain Crest, which secured clean sheets against all 15 of its 4A foes and outscored the opposition by an astounding 48-0 margin in those matches. The Mustangs ended their memorable season by not conceding a goal during the final 1,097 minutes. Mountain Crest did not allow a goal during the final seven-plus weeks of the season.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s (a) once-in-a-lifetime (accomplishment),\u201d MC goalkeeper Hadley Glenn said. \u201cIt just feels awesome to have the chance to help my team out.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
It was a collective team effort for the two-time reigning 4A state champions, who had the luxury of returning their entire starting backline from a year ago. Barrera joined forces with older sister Rhauli, fellow sophomore Summer Sofonia and four-year starting center back Brittney Egbert to help the Mustangs shut out 27 opponents during a two-season stretch. The emergence of Glenn also loomed large in Mountain Crest\u2019s successful quest for a second straight state crown.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Those five athletes came together to help accomplish something special and, quite frankly, unprecedented for a local high school soccer team. They have been selected as co-Herald Journal All-Valley Players of the Year. This is the first time The Herald Journal has honored a collective group of players for this annual award.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cIt was a privilege to coach girls with such high soccer IQ and love for the game,\u201d MC head coach Justin Beus said. \u201cI mean, they never quit. It was 100 percent every practice, every game. Every opportunity they had to show up, they did.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Beus had all the confidence in the world in his backline heading into the season, but the Mustangs needed to find a replacement for keeper Dakota Andersen. They certainly found Andersen\u2019s replacement in Glenn, a sophomore who split time with Hailee Sharp during the first three-or-so weeks of the season.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The duo teamed up for early-season shutouts against Desert Hills and Crimson Cliffs before Glenn won the job for good in late August. No. 34 gave up a measly two goals during her time minding the net and announced her presence to the rest of Region 11 with a stunning performance against visiting Ridgeline on Sept. 8. Glenn came through with three memorable saves during a scoreless regulation and turned aside three of the Riverhawks\u2019 four penalty kicks during the shootout. The Riverhawks were off the mark on their other attempt from the penalty spot, and the Mustangs prevailed in the shootout, 2-0.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cMan, she is competitive, she\u2019s aggressive and she does not expect to lose,\u201d Beus said of his first-team all-state keeper. \u201cShe\u2019s so hard on herself. She doesn\u2019t like to lose and it\u2019s awesome. I love it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Playing a challenging preseason schedule helped give the Wellsville native the confidence she needed to excel in that pivotal win over a talented Ridgeline team.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cWe felt that we had the hardest preseason (schedule) out of our region and we did fairly well with that, so we came in confident into region and we did pretty dang good,\u201d said the tough-as-nails and spry Glenn, a former basketball player who is currently competing for MC\u2019s girls wrestling program and is a standout rodeo athlete.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Beus is supremely confident the daughter of Dee and Kerry Glenn is a future Division I college player if that\u2019s a goal of hers. All five of these aforementioned athletes are capable of playing at the next level, Beus asserted, and Egbert and Rhauli Barrera are both currently mulling over multiple offers to play in college next year.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Like Glenn, Egbert has taken up wrestling this season and is competing for the Mustangs. The daughter of Paul and Wendy Egbert is also a sprinter for Mountain Crest\u2019s track & field team and is a former basketball player. The Wellsville native experienced some ups and downs during her four years as a starter \u2014 Mountain Crest finished fifth in the region when she was a freshman and fourth when she was sophomore \u2014 but was a big reason why the Hyrum-based school went 34-5 with 27 shutouts and six more matches with one goal allowed during her final two seasons.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cIt feels really good just starting from the bottom and working our way up, and just thinking that all of our hard work has paid off,\u201d Egbert said. \u201cAnd just growing as a team (has been rewarding to see).\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Perhaps most importantly, No. 29 developed into a leader during Mountain Crest\u2019s ascent to prominence in the 4A classification.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cI think for me, as a freshman starting I was just super shy and I wouldn\u2019t talk too much and I wouldn\u2019t communicate (very well) to our team,\u201d Egbert said. \u201cBut now as a senior, I feel like I\u2019ve grown closer to the team and I\u2019ve spoken aloud and I\u2019ve communicated better.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Egbert\u2019s steady, calm-under-pressure presence was certainly noticed by coaches in the 4A ranks as she garnered first-team all-state accolades as a senior and second-team all-state honors as a junior.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cThat was really valuable,\u201d Beus said of having a four-year starter. \u201cBrittney was just a leader back there. She would keep the girls encouraged, she would always play hard. Even when things got hard, she played with a smile on her face and I liked that about her.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Egbert developed a tight bond with fellow center back Rhauli Barrera and the two would perform somersaults in unison before the opening whistle of every match.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cWe just did it to calm us down and just to have fun at the beginning of the season, and I think it really helped,\u201d Egbert said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
It was an unforgettable final two seasons for Rhauli Barrera, who not only had outstanding synergy with Egbert, but had the rare opportunity of making a pair of state championship runs with her younger sisters. Hadli, a two-time first-team all-state midfielder, and Bentli are twin sisters.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s pretty cool because I can kind of read them a little better than I can read the other players, so I think it\u2019s kind of a perk in a way,\u201d Rhauli said of sharing her final two seasons at MC with her sisters. \u201cBut I\u2019ve really enjoyed it, so yeah, (it\u2019s meant a lot).\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
No. 20 was a key contributor as a junior as she garnered honorable mention all-state honors, and made significant strides as a senior on her way to earning first-team all-state distinction.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cThe same thing with Rhauli (as with Glenn in) that she\u2019s aggressive,\u201d Beus said when asked about Rhauli\u2019s greatest strengths. \u201cShe took pride in not getting beat and if somebody got past her \u2014 like that mistake she made against Logan \u2014 she gets back and she redeems herself. And her and Britney just worked so well together. They had great chemistry.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
That sequence Beus is referring to took place just seconds into the second half as Rhauli\u2019s poor back pass was intercepted by Logan standout midfielder Emma Browning, who beat Glenn to the ball and had an open net in front of her. However, Rhauli hustled back in impressive fashion to block Browning\u2019s shot just in the nick of time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The daughter of Franco and Margo Barrera took a lot of pride in limiting the opposition\u2019s dangerous scoring opportunities. The Mustangs, who ended the season with 13 straight shutouts, rarely put Glenn in a one-v-one situation this past season.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cMaybe a couple breakaways during preseason, but I feel like once region hit we kind of locked it down and did pretty well,\u201d said Rhauli, a former varsity basketball player for the Mustangs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
In addition to Glenn, the Mustangs are very fortunate to have the services of outside backs Bentli Barrera and Sofonia for two more seasons. Both athletes are lockdown defenders that are also very dangerous in the attack in the run of play and on set pieces. Sofonia came through with four goals \u2014 two against 6A program Weber \u2014 and four assists in \u201922, while Bentli contributed with five assists and all in different matches.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cI like to get involved in the attack and be defensive because I feel like playing defense can get kind of boring sometimes, so getting forward in the attack is something I look forward to,\u201d Sofonia said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Sofonia will forever be a legend at Mountain Crest after burying a sublime golden goal free kick in double overtime of last year\u2019s state title showdown against Crimson Cliffs. The daughter of Todd and Jackie Sofonia is a threat every time she takes a free kick inside of scoring range, which is a wide range for her.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cYeah, Summer\u2019s got deadly free kicks,\u201d Beus said of his two-time all-state left back (second team as a freshman, first team as a sophomore). \u201cSummer is a phenomenal defender and also she\u2019s a threat in the attack. She makes runs up the field all game long, so it\u2019s hard (for opponents) to deal with Summer. And not only that, but she shuts people down.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The Hyrum native is also well known for her ability to win 50-50 balls both in the air and on the ground. Sofonia will have the rare chance to chase a three-peat with her older sister, Addy, a stellar forward who garnered first-team all-state honors as a junior and second-team accolades as a sophomore.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cI like playing with her because, I don\u2019t know, it\u2019s just fun because it\u2019s like sisterly bonding,\u201d Summer said. \u201cWe know how each other plays. It\u2019s been a lot fun playing with her.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Like Sofonia, Bentli Barrera gives opponents fits with her speed, relentless ball-winning ability and technical ability. The Hyrum native has an incredibly strong throw-in for someone of her size \u2014 another weapon in her arsenal.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cTo be honest with you, I don\u2019t know if Bentli ever got beat this whole season,\u201d Beus said of his right back. \u201cIf somebody got by her, she would recover and get the ball back. She\u2019s a huge defensive threat, steps to the ball well and gets up the field and plays great offense as well. Her and Summer make awesome runs up the field.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Like her aforementioned teammates, Bentli is a student of the game, is coachable and communicates well with her teammates. As a result, the Mustangs were a well-oiled machine defensively in \u201922.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cOur talking helped, especially from the goalies and the center backs, just letting us know what to do and how to do it,\u201d said Bentli, a two-time all-state selection. \u201cI felt like that helped make us really successful.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Hadli Barrera, So., MF, Mountain Crest<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Barrera burst onto the high school scene as a freshman as she finished second on her team in both goals (13) and assists (eight).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n No. 24 was even more productive as a sophomore as she ranked first among all Cache Valley players with 20 goals, plus dished out an impressive 11 assists. Barrera, a relentless ball winner, was a consistent performer, to boot, as she found the back of the net in 15 of the Mustangs\u2019 20 games, plus assisted on at least one goal in nine different matches.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cHadli is a very good defensive player,\u201d Beus said. \u201cShe gets backs and helps out on defense. Not only that, but she creates so many opportunities in the attack and she\u2019s not a selfish player. I\u2019ll bet she could have had twice as many goals, but she lays the ball off and she trusts her teammates. So, she\u2019s a physical, tough player, trusts her teammates and creates lots of opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The reigning Deseret News 4A MVP netted two goals in five different matches this past season, including against Region 10 champion Snow Canyon in the 4A title tilt. Barrera scored 36 seconds into the game and then buried another shot in stunning fashion later in the half to help propel Mountain Crest to a 3-0 victory.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cThat second goal she scored was probably the best goal I think I\u2019ve seen all year for sure,\u201d said Beus of his sophomore speedster. \u201cAnd when she puts it all together, she is a weapon \u2026 and I\u2019m so glad she\u2019s on our team.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Reese Cragun, Jr., MF, Green Canyon<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n This skilled defensive midfielder played sparingly as a sophomore, but was one of her side\u2019s top players a year later.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Green Canyon had one of the most potent midfields in the 4A classification in \u201922 and Cragun was a big reason why. No. 8 played an instrumental role in Green Canyon\u2019s late-season surge as the Wolves won five of their last seven games and outscored the opposition by a 29-7 margin during that stretch.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cReese was a very important part of our team\u2019s success this year,\u201d GC head coach Kirt Sadler said. \u201cShe was phenomenal in one-v-one defending and she was great at winning the 50-50 balls. Playing the 6, she \u2026 dictated how her team played in a lot of games. She also went head to head with some of the top players in the region all season long. She is a very coachable player. She always did what I asked her to do and what I needed her to do in games. She\u2019s an extremely competitive player and has an amazing work ethic on the pitch.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Cragun was a good facilitator for the Wolves and also came through with goals against Bear River and Spanish Fork. Additionally, the junior assisted on fellow standout midfielder Austin Miller\u2019s goal second goal against Crimson Cliffs.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n