This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
All season long, Stephanie Verdoia knew what opponents thought of her and her Brighton teammates. She knew that most believed if they could stop her, they could stop the Bengals.
It was fitting, then, that Verdoia, The Tribune's Class 5A MVP, didn't score a single goal in Brighton's final game of the season, a 1-0 victory over Viewmont. She didn't have to.
After a 95-minute defensive battle, Verdoia said she had a feeling that her teammate McKenna Kimball would be the unlikely hero of the game. Even while the Vikings smothered Verdoia with double- and triple-team coverage, the senior forward never lost faith in her teammates' ability to win a game without her ever striking the net.
"They were the ones who got us there," Verdoia said. "They pushed me and motivated me. They were my motivation the whole way."
Of course, Verdoia did plenty to help put Brighton in that position.
Throughout the season, the Seattle University signee carried Brighton on her shoulders, often scoring first for her team to lead the Bengals to the state's only undefeated record and their first state title since 2005. More importantly, at least in terms of rivalries, Brighton stole the Region 4 title from Alta, which had owned the title in each of the previous nine seasons.
"It was nice to know that we could beat every team in the state," Verdoia said.
Verdoia's scoring ability, of course, was never in question. Still, her hat trick against top-ranked Davis, widely considered one of the best defensive teams in the state, in the 5A semifinal was by far her most impressive — and crucial — performance of the season.
"She told me it was just lucky," Brighton coach Tennille Vance said. "I told her, 'No, it's called skill.' "
While the individual accolades were a nice — and long awaited — accompaniment to her senior season, Verdoia placed more value on her team's progress.
"That's just a testament to the type of player she is," Vance said. "Her character just shone through."