How the Class 1A No. 2 Gilbert girls soccer team reloaded so quickly on defense

Coming off a Class 1A state runner-up performance last season, the Gilbert girls soccer team had a lot to be excited about heading into the 2024 season.

But there was a lot of uncertainty as well.

During last year's run Gilbert did not give up a goal in the postseason until a 2-0 loss to Bishop Heelan in the 1A championship game. But talented keeper Braelyn Thomas and three-fourths of the Tigers' defensive backline, including the big leg of sweeper Alex Harswick, graduated.

That left Gilbert with just junior outside back Mia Kautman returning. But even that was not a certainty, as Kautman had suffered an ankle injury at the end of basketball season, and she was not sure if she could go on the soccer field.

"I didn’t know if my role was going to be on the sideline, or on the field,” said Kautman. “So, anything I could do for the team, I wanted to do it.”

Kautman decided to gut it out.

“Pain is a mentality,” Kautman said. “It’s a blessing to be out here. I know that my days out here are numbered, so I want to make the most out of them.”

With her back as a veteran leader, Gilbert has not missed a beat on defense. Junior Taylor Pyle, sophomore Keaton Hanson and freshman Sammy Johnson have stepped right in and excelled on their end of the field, helping Gilbert get off to a 9-1 start following Tuesday's 4-0 victory over Bondurant-Farrar at Gilbert.

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“It’s been fun to work with them,” said Gilbert assistant coach Kelly Herbers. “Defense has a special place in my heart. I played defense for 18 years.”

Herbers played high school soccer at Ames and women's soccer in college at Minnesota State. She is impressed with how quickly the inexperienced players on the Tiger defense have picked up on how to play the varsity game at a high level.

“They have a willingness to get better and listen,” Herbers said. “They’re very coachable athletes. Being able to talk to them and coach them through the ways that we’re doing our defense and our positioning and things like that.”

Johnson plays along Kautman as an outside back. Hanson and Pyle are the center backs.

“We work together well,” said Pyle. “Together, we can do anything.”

Hanson credits Kautman for being the glue that holds the Tiger defense together.

“She always keeps us accountable,” said Hanson. “Even with her injury, she’s always staying on top of things.”

Kautman said the three new starters make her job easy.

“Going into the season I knew we were going to lose a lot from our back line, but I wasn’t nervous at all,” Kautman said. “We had a lot of girls who worked super hard. Every practice we work well talking to each other and finding each other’s strengths.”

The Tiger quarter has plenty of talent physically.

“We have good speed in the back," Hanson said. "It’s not too hard to catch up to the ball."

But it is the chemistry between the four girls that has Gilbert already looking like one of the top defenses in 1A.

“Our biggest strength is our communication,” said Hanson. “We do a good job of sticking together and owning up to our mistakes.”

Together, the Gilbert backfield has made life a lot easier for new keeper Annika Yoder-Stoulil.

“I like all of them,” said Yoder-Stoulil. “They all do really well.”

Yoder-Stoulil entered Tuesday's game having made 17 saves and only given up three goals in 10 games. In her first game Gilbert blanked top rival and traditional power Nevada, 1-0, in overtime.

That gave Yoder-Stoulil confidence. She has not looked back since.

“Filling Braelyn’s shoes, that was a big step,” Yoder-Stoulil said. “I wasn’t ready for it. But once I got on the field the first game I was like all right, I got it.”

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Gilbert has amassed eight shutouts through the Bondurant-Farrar game. The Tigers had 12 in all of 2023.

“At practice we work hard on where we’re supposed to be,” Kautman said. “We take pride in our shutouts and not having corners and fouls, and stuff like that.”

The forward and midfielders might get most of the glory, but the Gilbert back four and Yoder-Stoulil are fine with that.

“It’s a team sport, and they know that,” Herbers said. “They’re going to have the offense’s back, just like the offense will have their back.”

The Tigers are looking forward to what lies ahead in their quest to make it back to the 1A state championship game.

“It’s exciting,” said Johnson. “It’s just so much fun hanging out with these guys and having practice with them.”

As long as the defense keeps playing well, they have to like their chances.

“Keep doing what we’re doing,” Yoder-Stoulil said, “but get better at it.”

Joe Randleman covers high school sports for the Ames Tribune. Contact him at jrandleman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeRandleman

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Dominant defense stands out for the Gilbert girls soccer team