For the majority of students, the school year is young with varsity sports filling the calendar clear through next spring. Lakers senior defender and Utah Tech commit Maggie Anderson, though, is on the final curve of her prep soccer career.

Graduating early this winter, Anderson is on track to become the first of her family name to play on a Division I college scholarship, headed to compete for Lexi Brown and the Trailblazers — doing so alongside Davis County seniors Marley Francis (Davis High) and Jocee Eddy (Syracuse).

Anderson plans to pursue a nursing degree in St. George, with a particular interest in hematology and oncology (blood, bone marrow and the lymphatic system).

Delivering a deep run in her senior season, though, remains atop her to-do list.

Photo supplied, Trevor Anderson

Bonneville, cleaning out region foe Box Elder 3-0 on the road Wednesday, is off to a strong start by winning five of its first six matches, including a 5-3 win over 3A contender Morgan and a narrow 2-1 home loss to 4A Crimson Cliffs.

Just one loss is enough to force her entire team to double down at practice, Anderson said.

“I think that stands out in games for us,” Anderson said. “You can tell that forwards all the way back to our goalie, we’re all there together, working, pushing to win all of our games. We’ve lost the one, but we came back and won two more. I think that really just shows that we don’t take losses lightly. We want to build ourselves back up and win again.”

Bonneville is out to repair last year’s 12-7 finish, cut short by Spanish Fork in the second round of the 5A state playoffs.

“I think wanting to do something good for the school and people around me has been the big thing,” Anderson said. “I play with a lot of friends and us all being together for one last season is, really, a push for me, and I’ve just really wanted to enjoy being around everyone.”

Change is good

No particular team is exactly alike.

Some rosters have played together since their youngest years, and others are a patchwork of familiar faces and hopeful contributors aligned simply by a desire to win ballgames.

In three years under coach Brady Nicholls, Bonneville has enjoyed that slow build to a senior-led class this fall, including starting goalkeeper Lily Atkinson (committed to Eastern Kentucky, according to Top Drawer Soccer) and all-region forward Marley Chournos, who one goal shy of a hat trick on Tuesday at Box Elder.

It’s through those veteran teammates, and extended experience as an ECNL All-American competing with La Roca Futbol Club of South Weber, that Anderson watched her own perspective change along the back line. As the starting centerback for La Roca’s Under-17 squad, Anderson finished as the No. 1 player in the ECNL’s Northwest Conference and top 10 nationally.

“I’ve realized how big of a role it is,” Anderson said. “I used to think I’m not a big, important part of (the) team. But I started to realize, it’s a big part, you see the whole field and you’re in charge of basically everyone. … Especially this summer, I just saw that and decided I can’t take this for granted. I’ve just kept pushing, and I’ve realized that it was a good thing where I was.”

Part of the credit, Anderson said, belongs to her goalkeeper, swayed into joining La Roca, and subsequently joining her teammate as freshmen at Bonneville in 2023.

“I knew she was super good,” Anderson said of Atkinson. “We were both super happy about that because she’s very vocal. She’s very good at what she does, and even though she’s not the tallest goalie ever, she has the mentality that she is able to get every ball that she can. She won’t take a goal for granted.”

One final run

In six matches, Bonneville has looked like a team with unfinished business.

From the starting 11 to the bench, the Lakers are seemingly able to input second-man assignments without leaving behind the agenda. The Morgan win, for example, featured senior Charley Armstrong in goal for Atkinson, away from the team due to family obligations.

“I think everyone that has been put in those positions have definitely stepped up and helped us,” Anderson said.  “I think that’s a really good thing. (Brady)’s able to step up and make sure we’re doing what we need to but, at the same time, he’s able to be there and not make it too heavy of a load put on our shoulders each game.”

Eight different Lakers have recorded at least one goal through the team’s 5-1 start; senior Lily Amarillo, consequently, leads the stat sheet with three assists.

Whether during a game or in practice, a major key to Bonneville’s early success, Anderson said, is winning the ball out of the air every time. It’s an area Anderson and the defense are putting their stamp on every week.

“That’s been a struggle for us in the past,” Anderson said. “We’re really focused on building the ball up from the back line to the forwards and staying connected in our back line, shifting together, moving up together — and we’ve really just focused on that relationship.”

Those extra possessions can’t hurt the Lakers, now in the region race with a match with West Field, sitting at 2-3 with impressive wins over Ogden and Farmington, on deck for Thursday afternoon.

Connect with Standard-Examiner sports reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net, X @ctbecker and Instagram @standardexaminersports.