High school soccer: Judge back in 3A picture with win over Juan Diego

DRAPER — Being the favorite was not a role Judge Memorial enjoyed last season. The Bulldogs hovered around .500 for much of the fall and made a quick playoff exit after returning the bulk of their team that had captured a 3A girls soccer title in 2007.

With the return of longtime coach Wayne Voorhes after a two-year absence, Judge looked at this season as one where it could reclaim its status a 3A power.

"Last year we had a ton of pressure on us to win state again," sophomore forward Danielle Gaztambide said. "I was a freshman, so I kind of had that put on me too and I felt part of that too. This year, I think that we just want to rebuild that legacy."

Judge has done an excellent job of returning to its dominant form of past seasons. The Bulldogs kept their perfect record intact with a big 2-1 road victory over archrival Juan Diego on Thursday night.

At 9-0, Judge is one of two teams – along with East – to not suffer a loss or tie up to this point in the season. Getting this latest win was far from an easy task. The Bulldogs had to navigate through a hard-fought game that shifted from first-half offensive fireworks to a defensive battle after halftime.

Judge wasted no time finding the back of the net, going up 1-0 on a goal from Gaztambide in the 5th minute.

Gaztambide set the scoring play in motion when she mounted a one versus one challenge with reserve goalkeeper Jen Turnerdrown. After Turnerdrown blocked her initial shot, the ball popped out and came to Gaztambide's feet again. Working with an empty net, Gaztambide quickly blasted the ball home.

She nearly scored again two minutes later when Kiersten Berg found Gaztambide on a cross as she raced down the middle of the penalty area. Gaztambide tried to slot it between Turnerdrown and the right post, but hooked the ball wide.

The next goal came from Juan Diego (6-1-2) instead. The Soaring Eagle made it 1-1 in the 12th minute when Vicki Shimkus cashed in a free kick, threading a low right-footed shot through the middle of a four-man defensive wall for the equalizer.

Judge retook the lead for good in the 24th minute when Chelsea Reimer played a free kick short to Kristen Pavlick. The freshman popped the ball high in the air and slotted it perfectly underneath the crossbar.

The Bulldogs counting on using their team speed to keep Juan Diego from holding the ball and chipping away at their defense. It ultimately helped them gain an early advantage.

"We like to play possession, but the object is to get it to our speedsters because they can finish," Voorhes said.

Those first-half goals loomed large as Juan Diego made repeated attacks on the goal throughout the second half.

Voorhes credited his defense – led by senior sweeper Sadie Young – with doing an excellent job of absorbing the extra pressure and aiding goalkeeper Natalie Warner in repelling shots.

The Soaring Eagle managed to keep things close up to the end by denying Judge on some prime scoring chances. On two separate occasions, Berg was successfully stopped by Turnerdrown after she tried to challenge the keeper one on one.

"Juan Diego gave us everything that we could handle, to be very honest, and the girls stepped up," Voorhes said.

Judge will have a day to prepare for its next game. The Bulldogs will face off with Riverton in a nonregion game at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday at noon.

EMAIL: jcoon@desnews.com