Devils savor record season
First, the team notched the program’s first state-playoff win with a 4-2 victory over Heritage Christian Monday.
Second, that win was No. 15, a school record, for the Devils
And to cap it off, it was a pretty cool Mother’s Day for the Large family as coach Craig Large and his wife, Emily, welcomed Carter Brandon Large into the world on Sunday. Young Carter, Eagle Valley Class of 2021, weighed in at 7 pounds, 7 ounces.
Eagle Valley’s run ended Tuesday with a 6-0 lost to No. 2 Faith Christian, but that doesn’t take away from Devils’ best season ever.
“It was a great year,” the new dad, Large, said. “It was good to see them come together and mature as a team. The record shows for itself.”
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“I think the season was great for us. The team went 15-2-1. That’s good for Eagle Valley girls soccer,” senior Brooke Baughfman said. “I think it’s a good foundation for the juniors and everyone to work and build on. Now, they know they can do it and they have confidence.”
Eagle Valley went 11-1-1 in the 3A Slope, sweeping archrival Aspen and battling Basalt down to the wire for the league title, which went to the Longhorns.
The Devils were also an offensive juggernaut. They outscored their opponents 83-22. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have two 26-goal scorers on your team in Baughfman and Sam Phillips.
“Sam was probably the fastest player in the league,” Large said. “It was almost impossible for defenders to cover her. She could just take it one-on-one to the net.
“Brooke controlled the middle of the field. She would get the ball, possess it and she had the ability to find the net from 30 or 40 yards out.”
And, by the way, Phillips is a junior, much to the dismay of the rest of the Slope.
“The other coaches were hoping she was a senior,” Large joked.
But the Devils, by no means, were a two-person show. Vanissa Carroll contributed 10 goals and 13 assists, while Kathryn Brock had nine goals and six helpers. Throw in Lindsay Kunkel and her four goals and five assists and Eagle Valley had a very balanced attack.
The sad part of Tuesday’s loss to Faith Christian was that it was the final appearance of a talented senior class. The Class of 2003 includes Baughfman, Brock, Audrey Powell, Staci Walls, Jamie Woodworth, Katie Lovell, Kunkel, Annie Vogel and Carroll, who will be graduating early next year.
Extra shots: In Eagle Valley’s 4-2 win Monday, the Devils got goals from Phillips, Brock, Baughfman and Carroll. … The Western Slope’s all-league team is out, but Large is waiting to announce the team’s representatives at next week’s team dinner.
Chris Freud is the sports editor for the Vail Daily. Contact him at (970) 949-0555, ext. 614 or by e-mail at cfreud@vaildaily.com.
