Skyline soccer: Lauren Harmon profile

In early November, I interviewed Skyline (Utah) soccer player Lauren Harmon. I watched her play several times during the season. Being a guy, I certainly noticed she was very pretty. However, her athletic ability and size really allowed her to make a difference on the soccer field. She should do well at the college level. Here's the article I wrote that appeared in this year's Skyline girls soccer yearbook.

Lauren Harmon:

Led a talented class of athletes

that built Skyline soccer tradition

By Bruce Smith

Matchup
 
            Lauren Harmon remembered one of the first practices she had with the Skyline girls soccer team her sophomore year.
            She looked around at her teammates, and especially her classmates and realized the talent they had.
            “You could tell we had a pretty good class,” she said. “When we were juniors, most of the starters were in our class.”
            In her four years, Skyline’s record has been 58-13-4 and the team has won four region titles. 2011 was the most successful as the Eagles reached the 4A title game before losing 1-0 to Timpanogos in the final.
            Coach Yamil Castillo said Harmon played a big part in it.
            “She was an incredible athlete,” he said. “The thing I admired the most was she wouldn’t worry about the highlights. She would just go out there and do the job. Her best game was Timpanogos. She was all over.”
            Harmon had similar feelings about the coaches.
            “Part of our success is our staff,” Harmon said. “They have helped us work together and be more team oriented. We don’t have that many standout players. Our senior class is so big. We’ve had a lot of experience playing with each other. We were familiar with each other so we had a head start. Then, with the new, younger players, it was easy for them to fit in.”
            And now, at least six players are moving on to play in college. Harmon, in fact, is headed to Utah State. But the list also includes Ashley Aberton (Gonzaga), Alli Spencer (Columbia), Kaitlin Parkin (Southern Utah), Katelynne Halliday (BYU-Hawaii) and Meghan Davies (UNLV). At press time, Emily Cassell and Elizabeth Armstrong had some options.
            “It’s nice to have it done with,” Harmon said. “It’s a lot of work to be recruited but it pays off.”
            College scouts – and coaches – know how to recognize talent, and they don’t find it by reading the newspaper headlines. If so, they might not have found Harmon.
            She started playing club soccer in the sixth grade and that has led her to matches in places like San Diego, Las Vegas, Denver, Albuquerque, Phoenix, Texas, Florida and more. She joined the Skyline team as a freshmen.
            Early in her Skyline career, she scored two goals in a victory over Union. Since then, however, scores have been scarce, mostly because per center midfield position keeps her away from the goal.
            Harmon finished her career with 12 goals, including five as a senior. She said scoring isn’t as important to her as controlling the game, where she used her skills, as well as her size (5-foot-9). Great memories have followed.
                “That (2011 4A quarterfinal) game against Bountiful was my most memorable,” she recalled. “I remember it being a very, very physical game. I remember the intensity of being down and we got a red card, too, so we were down a player. We had a disadvantage. When we pulled through and won, that was amazing. Nobody likes to end a game with a PK (penalty kick), but when it goes down to PKs and you win, you like it.”
            Harmon said the Skyline senior class had high hopes coming into the season. They wanted to end their career on a high note and, after coming so close last season, felt like they had a chance.
            The season started slowly, however. The Eagles dropped their opener to Davis and, just over a week later, were held to a tie by Park City. Harmon said something needed to be done. She said the Park City match was the turning point.
                “We decided we were not going to have a bad year,” she said. “We needed to suck it up and start winning our games.”
            The Eagles didn’t lose again for two months. On the way, they made their best memories, including an unbeaten region season, their “Senior Day” game against Murray and two postseason victories.
            “My best game was our last game against Olympus. It was under the lights and it was their Senior (Night) game. I felt super ready. I scored two goals and almost three. I just felt I was ready for that game and controlled most of it. That was my favorite game because they are our rivals.”
            Along the way, Harmon said she followed Utah State’s soccer team, which recently turned around its program.
            For Harmon, the near future may be a familiar ride.