It goes to the players like Waterford's Hailey Karg, who ran so hard that her muscles regularly cramped up mid-game. It goes to the players like Juan Diego's Jenn Flynn, who traded the spotlight for a chance to improve her passing game and accurately get the ball to her teammates.

It goes to players like Bonneville's Jaiden Thornock, who, despite falling short in the quest for a second consecutive state title, could not be more proud of the team she led to the finals.

And finally, it goes to players like Alta's Kealia Ohai, who, despite leading the state in scoring for four consecutive years, didn't need to score a goal in her final state title game to be fulfilled.

Indeed, The Tribune 2009 girls' soccer MVPs are defined by what didn't appear on any stat sheet.

Of course, the skill and play of Ohai, Thornock, Flynn and Karg distinguish them as some of the best players the state has ever seen. But it was their selfless play, team focus and leadership that truly made them the most valuable players in their respective classifications.

For Karg, who will play at Clemson next year, that selfless attitude came into play as the defending 3A state champion Ravens struggled to maintain perspective after being knocked down to Class 2A.

"It kind of felt like a slap in the face," said Karg. "We knew we could have been in the finals with Juan Diego."

But Karg and the Ravens had to set their pride aside and play as a team to win every game. And every time Karg took the field, she had one goal in mind: repeating as a state champion, no matter the classification. In order to do so, Karg led her team by example, playing every game to the point of cramping exhaustion because she knew that, no matter the opponent, every game was a crucial step toward their goal.

Before the state tournament, Karg wasn't even Waterford's leading scorer. But during the last three games, she netted eight goals, including two of the Raven's three goals in the state final game.

"It was all about teamwork. You have to know your players and share the work," said Karg. "I really felt like I did my part and brought my best game against the best competition."

The same was true for Thornock.

Throughout the season, she carried Bonneville on her shoulders, scoring 26 goals to lead the Lakers to their first region title since 1997. During the state tournament, she scored the game-winning goals in both the quarter and semifinals and the equalizer in the Lakers 2-1 loss to Timpanogos in the 4A state final.

While the season ended in disappointment, Thornock found pride in what the up-and-coming Lakers continue to accomplish.

"We worked really hard and I couldn't be more proud," Thornock said. "I worked hard to be a team player. You only look as good as your team does."

For Class 3A MVP Flynn, who plans to play for Utah State, it was about understanding her role on the team.

"I used to be selfish and take the shots, but this year I realized that other people can score better than I can. I'm more of a passer," she said. "If other people are making goals, that's all the matters."

As a result, Flynn's end-of-season stat sheet wasn't filled with big numbers. With only four goals on the season, her name didn't make the pages of many newspapers.

She didn't mind.

"That doesn't bother me," Flynn said. "I still know what I've done."

And so did her coaches. In fact, Flynn's selfless and accurate passing game prompted coach Jamie Schock to refer to her as "the best all-around player" he had ever coached.

That statement could be taken a step further for Ohai. The University of North Carolina commit and three-time 5A MVP is arguably the best girls' high school soccer player in state history.

While her dominance was undeniable, her selflessness was equally crucial to the Hawks' historic run to four consecutive state titles. In fact, during the last game of her high school career, Ohai didn't score a single goal. Ultimately, Ohai could not think of a better exit.

"Each year, I started to realize more what it was really about," Ohai said. "I felt like my whole career led up to that moment. As long as you can help your team win, you've been successful. I wouldn't trade a minute of any of it."