Herriman Girls Soccer starts season with comeback victory over RSL Academy

By Justin Adams | [email protected]

High school sports returned to the state of Utah yesterday with the girls soccer season getting underway. Herriman opened up its season against cross-town foes, RSL Academy and came away with a 3-2 come-from-behind victory.

The Mustangs got on the board first in the closing minutes of the first half, thanks to Katrina Estrada who got loose on a breakaway then slotted a shot just past the opposing keepers’ hands off the far post and into the goal. 

RSL Academy responded in the second half with two goals of their own in quick succession. 

Herriman Head Coach Ryan Rumfallo said he was proud of how his team responded to the sudden deficit.

“They’re not just okay with throwing in the towel when they go down,” he said. “A lot of teams even at a professional level, when they go down you see a change in play.” 

A handball within the penalty box led to a penalty kick for Herriman, which was taken and scored by Emma Carver tying the game at two apiece. Just about a minute later, Carver added another.

“Katrina laid it off to me and I saw a window behind the defender, so I took a touch behind her then I saw a wide open shot. I thought, ‘If I don’t hit this now I don’t know what’s going to happen,’ so I just took a shoot,” she said. 

The shot sailed over the keeper’s arms and into the back corner of the net and secured the Mustangs’ 3-2 victory. 

The positive result was surely reassuring for a Herriman team with lots of questions heading into the season. The Mustangs lost 11 seniors to graduation last year and are also playing under a new coach. 

Rumfallo joined Herriman after previously coaching at Copper Hills. Normal UHSAA rules plus additional COVID-19 precautions meant he had limited time to get to know his new team. Though he was familiar with some of Herriman’s players who he had coached against.

“The two girls who really stood out to me are Emma Carver and Sawyer Service… Now I see why I always hated playing against them,” he said. 

As for what Rumfallo brings to the team as a new coach, Carver said he has been having the team focus on its offense. 

“Finishing has always been one of our weaker spots,” she said. “He’s really pushed us to believe that we can score, that we can put it in the back of the net, which I think has helped us a lot.”

It certainly helped in the first game, as the Mustangs’ three goals and a win represented a much better start than last season in which the team scored just one goal in its first three games (all losses). 

“You gotta shoot it or it’s never going to go in,” said Carver. 

The attacking mentality will surely help Herriman as it aims to return to the top of Region 3 standings. 

The Mustangs’ next game will be a home match against Murray High on Thursday at 3:30 p.m.