By Weston Greene | [email protected]

The girls soccer team at Olympus High School kicked off their season with a 2-0 win at home against the visiting Corner Canyon High School Aug. 3. The Titan’s win can be credited in large part to an excellent defensive approach, anchored by their senior goalie Callie Drotisch whose defensive prowess has proven to be a big element of the Titan’s early-season successes to this point.

The Titan’s second game came against the Riverton High Silverwolves, who paid a visit to Olympus Aug. 5. The game was scoreless after a taxing regulation, and would eventually need two 10-minute overtime periods, followed by a series of penalty kicks to determine a winner. The Titans would eventually lose to Riverton 4-3, after a combined total of seven penalty kicks from both sides. 

Olympus’s next game would be in Bountiful Aug. 10 against Viewmont High where the Titans would lose their second straight game in a hard-fought contest that ended in a 2-1 victory for Viewmont. Dropping the Titans early-season record to a lackluster 1-2. 

With their next game coming at home, and the looming threat of dropping two games below .500 this early in the season, the Titans responded in a major way, beating American Fork Aug. 12 by 2-1.

The game was highlighted by two first-half goals, as well as Olympus’s robust new defensive strategy, centered around on-ball pressure and excellent goaltending. This newfound style of physicality proved beneficial to the Titan’s young roster, bringing their early season record to 2-2. 

Olympus head coach Jamie Stevens is encouraged by what she’s seen from her group of girls so far, stating, “This team is a very coachable team, and they’re willing to do whatever we ask them to do. And so we’re trying to figure out what style, what formation, fits best for this team, and where everyone fits, and they’re willing to go right along with it. So they’ve been super, just willing to be coachable.”

Stevens also displayed an optimistic outlook on the future of the team, saying she’s most looking forward to “seeing what they’re capable of. I think how we started, we’ve seen moments of greatness, I think they’re capable of a lot more. And I think we’re going to see that as the season goes on.” 

The Titans will look to build a consistent style of play, tailored around the aforementioned flashes of greatness as their season progresses. 

All four of the Titan’s first games came against non-conference teams, but Olympus’s next 10 games are all against in-conference opponents. That means there’s an added level of pressure to cultivate a winning record in order to make a playoff push. 

The Titans opened region play Aug. 17  with a home 2-1 overtime victory against Brighton High School. This will be followed by a road match against the Highland High Rams Aug. 19 (after press deadline).