Carson High sophomore Josilyn Daggs started and finished Tuesday's season-opening girls soccer game against Reno with spectacular individual plays.
In the sixth minute, Daggs stole the ball from Lila Murphy on Reno's side of the field, dribbled 40 yards and then beat the Reno keeper for the first goal. And with less than three minutes left in the one-sided contest, Daggs deked Reno's back-up goalie and scored easily.
Those two goals plus two more from Jamie Perez and an outstanding defensive performance carried the Senators to a 5-0 victory in a Northern 4A crossover match Tuesday afternoon.
"I think she was trying to pass the ball," Daggs said. "I saw her stop and I went for the ball. Randy (Roser, Carson coach) teaches us when they stop, we're supposed to go to the ball. I just played the ball into the corner (of the net)."
It was a play that didn't surprise Carson coach Randy Roser at all.
"She has made that type of play before," he said. "She's a year older, stronger and she makes better decisions. Last year she might have shot it too soon and missed or she might have passed it instead of dribbling it in herself.
"Jamie also had a good game. She is getting to where she needs to be position-wise to score those goals. I'm pretty confident we'll be scoring some goals. They know how to attack from midfield on in."
Perez made it 2-0 with a 20-yarder that barely got under the crossbar. Kenzie Tillitt made it 3-0 in the 26th minute when she dropped one in that grazed the crossbar. Perez scored in the 30th minute for a 4-0 lead. Daggs closed out the scoring with her second goal.
Roser kept stressing to his team during the game the need to build from the back. No doubt that will be a point of emphasis at practice.
"I thought we progressed as the game went on," said midfielder Tillitt, who scored one goal and came close three or four other times. "We were able to put them away in the second half."
Overall, Roser said the game turned out pretty much like he expected. The young Husky squad managed just four shots on Carson goalie Emmy Heller, and never really came close to finding the back of the net.
The Senators got an outstanding effort from midfielders Tillitt, Kiahna Pimental and Kaitlyn Holmes, and fullback Michelle Sandage, who originally was ticketed to play midfield. Pimental collided with a Reno player and appeared to have suffered a concussion. She spent the last 30 minutes laying on the turf in front of the team bench with an ice pack on her forehead.
"I thought we did brilliant (on defense) for having a young back row," Tillitt said.
Roser started senior Alex Schlager, junior Shannon Flaherty, Sandage and Alissa Hayes. The group had never played a game together on the back line at the same time. Sandage and Flaherty have some varsity experience in the back row.
Roser moved Sandage because he wanted somebody with experience and maturity to run things in the back. Sandage played well, making a few nice runs upfield.
Carson hosts Reed on Tuesday.
