Elite defense fuels powerful offense for Davis girls soccer team

KAYSVILLE – Lighting up the scoreboard isn't the only thing Davis (Kaysville) does well. The Darts lock down opponents on defense just as well as they do piling up goals on offense.

When one considers the fact that the defending Class 5A champions lead the state in goals scored, it is a frightening prospect for other teams.

"Before every game, we just tell each other: 'No goals allowed,' said senior defender Haylee Cacciacarne, who is committed to the University of Utah. "We try to stay compact. We just stay together. Our one goal each game is just don't get scored on."

Davis has raced out to a 10-0-0 start this season behind a defense that doesn't even bend, let alone break, and an offense that picks apart opponents for 80 minutes. The Darts have scored 64 goals in their first 10 games while allowing just five. Only one other team in Utah, Skyline (Salt Lake City), has scored at least 60 goals while allowing only five.

It has made Davis the overwhelming favorite to repeat as state champions and helped the Darts build a 14 game winning streak dating back to the 2014 regular-season finale.

The key for Davis on both sides of the ball is versatility. Talent isn't the only part of the equation. The Darts are successful because they have players who embrace their roles as if those roles were programmed into their DNA from the beginning.

"We're all really great individual players and all of us have talent," senior forward Ireland Dunn, another University of Utah commit. "What works for us is we're all different types of players. When we combine together, and actually work together, it creates something amazing."

Signs that another special season was in store for Davis were obvious from the beginning. The Darts returned nine starters from last fall and boast seven different players who have committed to play for NCAA Division I schools. Davis lost only one starter on defense and had a wealth of talent and depth in the JV ranks to insure against the injury bug.

Experience has been an effective tool in building Davis into a soccer powerhouse again this season. The Darts are ranked No. 18 overall this week the MaxPreps Computer Rankings presented by the Army National Guard. They are also ranked no. 7 nationally by topdrawersoccer.com.

"That's always good and refreshing with a team not to have change everything," Davis coach Souli Phongsavath said. "When you have an experienced group coming back, you're just tweaking certain things. Most of the girls know where they are and where they stand on this team."

Depth has also benefited Davis throughout the season – especially on the offensive end. Four different players have scored nine or more goals for the Darts, led by sophomore Olivia Wade with 19 goals. Wade, who is committed to BYU, has 29 career goals and counting. Dunn, the team's No. 2 scorer this season with 11 goals, has 51 career goals so far.

Defenses have their work cut out for them when they try to create a game plan to contain the Darts.

"Honestly, the biggest thing that surprises people from different teams is how many of our players have the ability to score a lot of goals," Dunn said. "It's not just one player on our team that scores all of the goals. It's all of us."

Explosive offense starts with good defense. Davis understands that principle well. It has kept the Darts on top of their game while defending their half.

Aggressive scoring is part of what the Darts do. It also defines what other teams try to do against the Darts. They have become accustomed to seeing energetic and desperate attacks from other teams seeking for anything positive against the defending champs.

"We get a lot of aggressive forwards," Cacciacarne said. "We get their 110 percent (effort) because they know they're going to work extra hard to get past us."

John Coon covers Utah high school sports for MaxPreps. He can be reached at john_coon@hotmail.com and you can follow him on Twitter at @johncoonsports