Lehi Sports
Pioneer girls soccer gets underway this week
The Lehi High School girls soccer team is set to start the first full season under Coach Jonas Hartmann at Timpview on Monday (Aug. 5) at 7 p.m. The home opener is Thursday (Aug. 8) when East makes a visit for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
The Pioneers will play at Woods Cross on Friday (Aug. 9) at 11 a.m. in non-region action to continue the start to the fall campaign. The Region 3 opener is Aug. 27, when Lehi will host American Fork at 7 p.m.
The Pioneers are young this year with just four seniors, but Hartmann said those girls will fill key leadership roles on and off the pitch. He has one for each level of the field.
Adelle Grimley has been moved up front where she will be playing at forward and wing after previously being primarily a midfielder.
Chelsea Hartmann will anchor the middle of the field. She is a dynamic player with scoring range from distance and has already committed to continuing her playing career at Westminster after graduation.
All-City defender Kanani Haunga returns in her role as the center back, where she “will be our defensive rock again,” Hartmann said.
Rounding out the senior group will be goalkeeper Kelsey Badger. Hartmann said she has improved her already considerable skills and leadership abilities in the position. “I’m expecting a lot out of each of these players,” he said.
Two juniors should provide some additional offensive punch: returning All-City forward Isabelle “Izze” Dahl and midfielder Amarie Simmons. Both are very versatile and will likely rotate between multiple positions.
The squad returns its primary wing defenders as well in All-City honorees Nora Evans, a junior, and sophomore Olivia Schoenfeld. Hartmann said the team will rely on this experienced back line as the other players settle into their positions.
The coach expects the Region 3 race to fall into two groups: Lone Peak and everyone else. “The Knights are the heavy favorite again,” he said. “They have a super strong team that is hard to match. It will be an open battle for spots 2-6. That could go in many different directions this year.”
Outside the region in Class 6A, Hartmann said Davis should have a good team this year again and Mountain Ridge could be in the conversation as well.
As for his own squad, he said the girls are super excited to get going. “We have set a goal to get at least a .500 record in Region 3,” he said. The team went 4-6 in conference play last fall.
“We had nearly double the number of girls come to tryouts this year, so we were able to add a freshman-sophomore team,” Hartmann said. “We have great depth on the varsity team, and adding a younger team to develop is a very positive sign for the future.”
