In his previous four season as head coach of the Herriman girls soccer team, Ryan Rumfallo guided the Mustangs to one winning season. He’s expecting this season to be the best the team has had under his leadership. 

Herriman went 10-5 in Rumfallo’s first season in 2020. The next three seasons saw the team go 7-11, 7-10 and 6-12 respectively. At the beginning of the 2024 campaign, Rumfallo had high hopes for the Mustangs. So far, he hasn’t been disappointed. 

“Expectations going into this season are for the team to finish better than we did last season and be in competition for the region title,” he said. “Last season, we had six overtime games in region and went 1-5 in those games. Our defense did very well, but we had some trouble scoring. With almost all defenders returning, the focus will be on scoring. Our goals are to win region and advance in the state playoffs beyond the first round.”

Herriman played well in non-region action in the early going, starting off with a 5-1 record. The team’s only loss was a 2-1 setback to a good Syracuse club on Aug. 20 in the final non-region contest. The Mustangs then won the Region 2 opener with a 4-2 triumph over Riverton on Aug. 22. Herriman has also fulfilled Rumfallo’s wishes of scoring more, as the team had 24 goals in the first seven contests, the best average in Region 2 and third-best average in Class 6A. The Mustangs had at least four goals their first four outings.

Leading the offensive charge has been senior striker Peyton Smith. Through seven games, she had already amassed 11 goals, tied for third in the entire state. She added three assists, second on the team. Smith had two games in the first seven in which she scored three goals. She had a hat trick in a 4-3 win at Alta on Aug. 8 and in a 5-3 victory at home over Crimson Cliffs the following day. 

Rumfallo said senior center back Gracie Thoreson and sophomore center back Tae Hansen have been impressive in the first part of the season. He also singled out junior midfielder Brooke Rasmussen as a key player and leader. Rasmussen paced the Mustangs with five assists through seven games and had four goals during that span. Her skills have complemented Smith well and put pressure on opposing defenses. 

But these players are far from the only Mustangs Rumfallo can turn to for production on the field. He said he has several capable options. 

“I think our strength lies in our depth this season,” he said. “If there are any injuries, we have players that can back each other up.”

Region 2 poses some formidable tests, with opponents such as Copper Hills, Corner Canyon, Bingham and Mountain Ridge playing well so far this season. To compete for a league title, Rumfallo said the offense needs to continue to play well, and the girls need to maintain a cohesive bond. 

“I think our biggest challenges will be within our region,” he said. “Almost every game in our region will be tough. If you don’t play well, there are teams in our region that will make you pay. The first, biggest challenge is always to win the region title. I think to overcome this challenge, we have to be confident and just try to be more consistent as a team. Being able to score some goals and the girls believing in and trusting each other are our keys to success. I think this team has all the defensive toughness and speed to play with anyone in our tough region. We just need to put some balls in the back of the net.”

As region play heats up and the Mustangs work toward the league crown, Rumfallo wants the girls to build on what they accomplished in early stages of the season. 

“I challenged the girls early on to focus a little more on the attacking and scoring and playing together,” he said. “After six preseason games, we have scored 20 goals. Hopefully that is a trend we can continue to build on as we start region play.”

The Mustangs have six foes in Region 2. They’ll face each opponent twice, ending with an Oct. 3 home game against Bingham. The Class 6A state tournament will begin Oct. 10 with first-round action. With a high enough seed, Herriman could secure a first-round bye and get a second-round home game. The second round starts Oct. 15 at the home fields of higher-seeded teams. The finals will be Oct. 25 at America First Field in Sandy. 

Last season, Herriman won in the opening round at Fremont and then lost at state power Davis in the second round. The Mustangs have never won more than one playoff game. 

Though Rumfallo wants his players to work hard and strive toward winning region and advancing deeper into the state tournament, he’s more concerned about the players having a positive experience. He’s happy that the girls love playing with one another—and they have a good competitive spirit, too.

“What I enjoy most about coaching this group is that they are fun,” he said. “I encourage them to enjoy this time playing high school soccer, and they seem to embrace it. Finding the fun in competing hard. I truly love going to practices every day. They compete hard and want to win.” λ