This is like being reborn again. (Juan Diego) has won championships before, but this one is special. To the girls, to the parents, to the supporters and the fans. This one goes to them. – Juan Diego head coach Daniel Cavar
SANDY — It was an all Region 11 championship game Saturday afternoon at Rio Tinto Stadium, as the Juan Diego Soaring Eagle faced off against rival Logan. Led by the excellent play of Daviana and Laveni Vaka, as well as that of goal scorer Elizabeth Blair, Juan Diego soundly defeated the Grizzlies 3-0, securing the coveted title of 3A champions.
“This is like being reborn again. (Juan Diego) has won championships before, but this one is special. To the girls, to the parents, to the supporters and the fans. This one goes to them. To come out here and perform on the highest level and still dominate. This was great,” Juan Diego head coach Daniel Cavar said.
Cavar wasn’t the only Soaring Eagle thrilled with the win. “Winning this means so much,” Daviana explained. “I mean it's state, and they beat us in overtime the first time we played them this season. We had to play super hard to get this (win). It feels amazing. I’m just kinda speechless right now.”
The Soaring Eagle were on the board fast in this one. Less than 10 minutes into the contest, Blair, the beneficiary of a beautiful through pass by Laveni Vaka, emerged wide open in the middle of the box, and her shot at goal easily beat Logan keeper Samantha Aguilar.
Later in the half, with about 13 minutes remaining, Daviana created an excellent goal scoring opportunity for Juan Diego. Her cross, earned by outrunning the Grizzly defense, seemed destined for a wide-open Laveni, but it was intercepted by Aguilar.
That squashed attempt didn’t hinder Daviana’s effort much, if at all, and six minutes later the leading Juan Diego goal scorer (25 goals) added to her season total. The Soaring Eagle secured a corner kick, and after Aguilar blocked one Juan Diego shot, Vaka sent a ball into the goal that Aguilar couldn’t save.
When asked about his star player, Cavar was more than effusive in his praise. “Daviana is a hustler. She is the girl that takes this team to the next level. We call her ‘Nightmare’ … for other teams. She is a very good finisher and has such a big heart. Daviana comes from a great family, and she is a big part of our Juan Diego family.”
Daviana wasn’t done, however, and with just under 20 minutes remaining in the game, she added one more score for good measure.
“It was a free kick (taken by Hanna Reid), and I just saw it going over. I ran to it, and the keeper and I collided. I saw the ball just sitting there in front of me so I got up and shot it,” Daviana Vaka said of her second goal.
Throughout the rest of the game, the Soaring Eagle refused to let up, even with the contest in hand, which only served as additional evidence of their championship resolve.
“We took everything step by step. We knew they were good going to the outside and we forced them to play to middle, and that allowed us to dominate the game,” Cavar said of his team’s play. “To perform the way they did, in such a high-intensity game, and against a good Logan team. … I guess all I can say is we were the better team today.”
EMAIL: twood@bonneville.com