Rose Lehner is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Pinnacle High School for AZPreps365.com

Jen Larsen sparked a new fire in the Pinnacle High School girls soccer team this season.

“I enjoy having her as my coach because she is so passionate about what she does and she is extremely dedicated to making us the best players that we can be,” senior Emma McWilliams said.

Larsen’s main focus is teamwork which allows the players to trust in each other and pick each other up when they’re down.

“I think our team has grown a lot closer and bonded well over the past two years with Coach Jen,” senior Alaina Kuhn said. “Every practice the team is growing closer and getting along really well, which only helps us on the field.”

Larsen’s passion for soccer not only made her a competitor as a player but an even more focused coach. Her positivity influences players to the thrive on the field.

“One thing that coach Jen helped me with is my confidence if we were ever down in a game she would and will always encourage me to keep my head up and keep trying until the very last whistle,” senior Juliana Botev said. “That isn't just with me it is with every girl on the team.”

Larsen’s hard work and dedication made her a strong defender on the field. Larsen began her soccer journey at Mountain View High School and then advanced to the Montana State University Billings women’s soccer team.  Larsen dominated on the field and had one of the most decorated careers in school history at MSUB.  After college she played in a semi professional league for the Sedona FC strikers.

Prior to coaching at Pinnacle, she started her coaching career as a JV coach for Mountain View. After a few years of coaching, Larsen was named the head coach and brought the Mountain View girls soccer team from a 1-11 record to an 11-1 record and fifth place in the state tournament.

“Having good team dynamic is such a big part of being successful on the field,” Larsen said. “Teams who are closer off the field will have a stronger bond on the field because they know they can trust each other and count on their teammates to get the job done.”

The Pinnacle had three different head coaches in the past four years. During Larsen’s first year as head coach in 2019-2020 the team ranked sixth in Arizona and second in the 6A Desert Valley Conference ending with a 16-6-1 record.

“Being a part of this team has helped push me into being a better coach. As a coach, you always want to improve and get more efficient at running practices, and this team pushes me to be the best every day,” Larsen said.

Pinnacle is undefeated with a 6-0 record and ranked first in Arizona and in the 6A Desert Valley Conference.

“I love coaching high school soccer and being able to coach for a school with this much hard work, talent, and dedication. Some of these players will go on to do huge things with their soccer career and it is exciting to be a small part of their journey. Seeing the team grow and improve is one of the main reasons I love to coach,” Larsen said.