Girls soccer: One good look, Manwill’s keeping puts Northridge over Layton 1-0
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- Northridge keeper Beth Manwill, center, rises to punch a ball at goal in a girls soccer match against Layton on Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022, at Layton High School. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Layton’s Amelia Smith (24) handles the ball as Northridge’s Abby Olsen (11) provides pressure during a girls soccer match Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022, at Layton High School. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Northridge’s Ellee Morse (17) and Layton’s Calli Holje, right, battle for the ball in a girls soccer match Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022, at Layton High School. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Northridge player Claire Cypers handles the ball in a girls soccer match against Layton on Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022, at Layton High School. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Layton’s Calli Holje, left, and Lucy Huler, right, bracket Northridge player Claire Cypers during a chase for the ball in a girls soccer match Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022, at Layton High School. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- A Layton player is seen playing in a girls soccer match against Northridge on Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022, at Layton High School. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Northridge player Abigail Olsen throws the ball in during a girls soccer match against Layton on Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022, at Layton High School. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Northridge player Lalei Stoker (20) and Layton’s Quincie Knudson (15) battle for possession during a girls soccer match Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022, at Layton High School. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Northridge player Tayler Loock (12) corrals the ball as Layton’s Jersee Clapier (9) looks on in a girls soccer match Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022, at Layton High School. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Layton’s Brylee Davenport (18) stops the ball as Northridge’s Brinley Lane (22) defends during a girls soccer match Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022, at Layton High School. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
LAYTON — Thursday’s Northridge versus Layton girls soccer match was a classic case of quality over quantity.
For over an hour of clock time, Layton pummeled Northridge keeper Beth Manwill with numerous shots on goal but was unable to push the ball beyond the sterling sophomore goalie.
Then, with 19:29 left in the game, Northridge senior captain Kenadee Thomas took the first — and only — decent shot the Knights had all afternoon for the single solitary score of the game.
Manwill made that goal stand up and Northridge remained undefeated with a 1-0 squeaker over the Lancers in a non-region dandy.
“Sophie Sivulich had a good pass through the middle and I was able to touch it; the keeper came out and I was able to get it past her,” Thomas said. “I feel as a captain, I’m trying to be a leader on the field and make sure I’m keeping my team going as long as I can.”
Thomas said the Knights didn’t often threaten Layton goalie Avery Bott, so they had to do the best with what chances they got.
“I’m just trying to keep my composure. With not many opportunities, you have to make every one count,” Thomas said. “Just making sure I keep my head in it and not get flustered.”
The game-winner came less than a minute after the second-half water break and Thomas said coach Thomas Zarate used that time to coach his team up for the home stretch.
“He said get our heads up a little quicker and get those through balls,” Thomas said. “One thing he pointed out was make those runs a little faster, and we did in that first minute.”
Northridge (4-0) also had a good start last year but tailed off later on, a trend Thomas hopes to avoid this season.
“Last year we got to this time and then we played Morgan and started to decline, but we’re hoping to keep it up high this year,” Thomas added.
It would be easy to give Manwill the bulk of the credit for her third shutout in four games, but she was quick to credit her defensive teammates.
“We have a very good back line; super good with shaping, really good with movement and talking. We play together well,” Manwill said. “Our defenders forced them into tough situations so they didn’t have good angles to shoot the ball and they had to make some risky crosses. My job is to deal with it and their job is to shut down as many opportunities as possible.
“Going into any game I have the mindset that I’m not going to let a single goal go in; I’m big and I’m loud and I take up as much space as possible,” Manwill said. “Be that big presence, yelling keeper, and letting them know I’m there. It boosts my confidence; any shot taken, I can save it, I can reach that. I can do this.”
Layton (1-3) was left to lament what might have been, leaving all those shots on the wrong side of the white pipes in the end.
“We’re controlling some passes, we’re distributing it, but that final third is where we’re leaving out,” Layton coach Tara Ferrin said. “We’re really good at kicking it to the keeper.”