Behind goals from Paisley Gardner, Riley Jansen and Ada Werner, American Heritage was able to grab its first state title ever, defeating Waterford 3-0 in the 2A state championship game on Saturday.
American Heritage set the tone early and often by controlling possession and keeping the ball on Waterford’s side of the field for a big chunk of the game.
“We worked on possession and communication. Those were the two top priorities we wanted to have the whole time. Scoring the goals is obviously the fun part of soccer, but having control where everyone touches the ball and building from the defense up I feel is key to help you go forward and score,” said American Heritage head coach Eleonor Stafford.
American Heritage players celebrate after their victory over Waterford in the 2A girls soccer state championship game at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News American Heritage’s Mikelle Arnson (12) battles for the ball during the 2A girls soccer state championship game between American Heritage and Waterford at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News Waterford midfielder Madeline Gallagher (27) moves the ball down the field during the 2A girls soccer state championship game between American Heritage and Waterford at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News American Heritage’s Paisley Gardner (7) jumps in their air while celebrating with her team after their victory over Waterford in the 2A girls soccer state championship game at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News Waterford head coach Kimiko Miyashima talks to her team at halftime during the 2A girls soccer state championship game between American Heritage and Waterford at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News American Heritage’s Bree Harmon (13), on the right, and Paisley Gardner (7), on the left, hug each other after American Heritage’s victory over Waterford in the 2A girls soccer state championship game at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News American Heritage players celebrate with the state championship trophy after their victory over Waterford in the 2A girls soccer state championship game at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News Waterford’s Vivika Sarin (8) moves the ball down the field while battling for possession with American Heritage’s Paisley Gardner (7) during the 2A girls soccer state championship game between American Heritage and Waterford at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News American Heritage’s Sadie Stratton (24) moves the ball down the field during the 2A girls soccer state championship game between American Heritage and Waterford at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News Waterford’s Grace Morris (21) moves the ball down the field while American Heritage’s Paisley Gardner (7) tries to kick it away during the 2A girls soccer state championship game between American Heritage and Waterford at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News American Heritage players celebrate after their victory over Waterford in the 2A girls soccer state championship game at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News American Heritage’s Paisley Gardner (7) and Carlee Vonk (4) hug as they come off the field following their victory over Waterford at the 2A girls soccer state championship game at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News Waterford’s Milana Massinople (11) and American Heritage’s Ainsley Suelzle (23) battle for the ball during the 2A girls soccer state championship game between American Heritage and Waterford at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News Waterford defender Savvy Williams (17) moves the ball down the field while being pursued by American Heritage’s Ada Werner (16) during the 2A girls soccer state championship game between American Heritage and Waterford at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News Waterford’s Vivika Sarin (8) races against American Heritage defender Carlee Vonk (4) and Bree Harmon (13) for the ball during the 2A girls soccer state championship game between American Heritage and Waterford at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News American Heritage’s Kayley Hall (21) kicks the ball into the air during the 2A girls soccer state championship game between American Heritage and Waterford at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News Waterford defender Savvy Williams (17) tries to kick the ball away from American Heritage’s Ada Werner (16) during the 2A girls soccer state championship game between American Heritage and Waterford at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News American Heritage midfielder Riley Jansen (26) moves the ball down the field while being pursued by Waterford’s Caroline Madsen (5) during the 2A girls soccer state championship game between American Heritage and Waterford at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News Waterford defender Anne Howard (25) moves the ball down the field while being guarded by American Heritage’s Ada Werner (16) during the 2A girls soccer state championship game between American Heritage and Waterford at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News Waterford defender Anne Howard (25) and American Heritage’s Ada Werner (16) battle for possession of the ball during the 2A girls soccer state championship game between American Heritage and Waterford at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News American Heritage’s student section celebrates catching a stray game ball during the 2A girls soccer state championship game between American Heritage and Waterford at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News American Heritage’s Kayley Hall (21) kicks the ball into the air during the 2A girls soccer state championship game between American Heritage and Waterford at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News Waterford’s Grace Morris (21) moves the ball down the field while being pursued by American Heritage’s Kayley Hall (21) during the 2A girls soccer state championship game between American Heritage and Waterford at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News American Heritage head coach Eleonor Stafford talks with her team at halftime during the 2A girls soccer state championship game between American Heritage and Waterford at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News Waterford head coach Kimiko Miyashima talks to her team at halftime during the 2A girls soccer state championship game between American Heritage and Waterford at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News American Heritage’s Sadie Stratton (24) moves the ball down the field during the 2A girls soccer state championship game between American Heritage and Waterford at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News American Heritage’s Ada Werner (16) moves the ball down the field during the 2A girls soccer state championship game between American Heritage and Waterford at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News Waterford defender Savvy Williams (17) tries to stop American Heritage’s Ada Werner (16) as she moves down the field during the 2A girls soccer state championship game between American Heritage and Waterford at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News American Heritage players celebrate after a goal during the 2A girls soccer state championship game between American Heritage and Waterford at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News American Heritage’s Aurie Pack (3) kicks the ball during the 2A girls soccer state championship game between American Heritage and Waterford at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News American Heritage’s Paisley Gardner (7) kicks at the goal during the 2A girls soccer state championship game between American Heritage and Waterford at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News American Heritage’s Paisley Gardner (7) tackles her teammate Ada Werner (16) with a hug after Werner scored a goal during the 2A girls soccer state championship game between American Heritage and Waterford at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News Teammates collapse on top of American Heritage’s Ada Werner (16) after Werner scored a goal during the 2A girls soccer state championship game between American Heritage and Waterford at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News American Heritage’s Mikelle Arnson (12) battles for the ball during the 2A girls soccer state championship game between American Heritage and Waterford at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News American Heritage midfielder Riley Jansen (26) kicks the ball into the air to get it away from Waterford’s players during the 2A girls soccer state championship game between American Heritage and Waterford at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News Waterford midfielder Madeline Gallagher (27) moves the ball down the field during the 2A girls soccer state championship game between American Heritage and Waterford at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News American Heritage players celebrate after their victory over Waterford in the 2A girls soccer state championship game at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News Waterford head coach Kimiko Miyashima talks to her team at halftime during the 2A girls soccer state championship game between American Heritage and Waterford at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News American Heritage’s Paisley Gardner (7) jumps in their air while celebrating with her team after their victory over Waterford in the 2A girls soccer state championship game at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News American Heritage’s Bree Harmon (13), on the right and Paisley Gardner (7), on the left, hug each other after American Heritage’s victory over Waterford in the 2A girls soccer state championship game at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. American Heritage won the championship game 3-0 over Waterford. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News American Heritage scored 12 minutes into the game when Gardner found the loose ball at the top of the box and chipped it just past the Waterford keeper, pinging the ball off the post and into the back of the net for the 1-0 lead.
That remained the score at half and American Heritage kept the pedal down, searching for more goals to create some breathing room.
They were able to double their lead nine minutes into the second half off of a corner. Waterford had trouble clearing the ball after the corner and Jansen found herself in the right place at the right time and was able to get the all-important second goal for her side.
“I don’t even remember what was going through my mind at that moment. I just remember the corner coming. I was just telling myself I’m going to get this in. We needed another goal to secure this, and during halftime we kept saying we were going to get two more goals and so I’m really happy to be able to contribute to that,” said Jansen.
American Heritage put the game away for good with 22 minutes left. Gardner was taking the ball down the right side of the field and crossed it over to Werner, who was making a run on the back post and was able to easily slot it home to clinch the victory and championship.
“I am so proud of the team,” Stafford said. “We worked so hard this season and it really showed today. Today the hard work really paid off. It’s really about teamwork. Honestly, we put aside the stats and egos of each player and really came together.
“We all set goals that we wanted to win state. That is what we had been working towards. As a coach, to see that the girls were seeing the bigger picture really shows that they’re mature and that it’s achievable, and to be able to have this moment is an incredible experience.”