By Laurie Maddox
WSL Special Correspondent

SANDY, Utah – Alta senior midfielder Taylor Dunn did not just light up the scoreboard and the stat books in 2010. She incinerated them.

The statistical line on Dunn is almost ridiculous: 87 ground balls, 49 forced turnovers, 43 goals, 36 draw controls, 13 interceptions and 10 assists.

This, from a player surrounded by talent and a team that has not lost a game since May 2008, won the 2009 and 2010 state championships emphatically and mercilessly outscored opponents, 288-49, this year.

Being the most dominant player on the most dominant Utah girls’ team was a role tailor made for Taylor Dunn, and it is the reason why she is WSL’s 2010 Utah Girls Player of the Year.

The superlatives go beyond numbers. As a senior, Dunn was All-American, Division I All-State First Team Defensive MVP and 2010 Championship MVP. She was academic All-American as a junior, honorable-mention All-American as a sophomore and Championship MVP as a freshman defender in 2007 – the year the fledgling Alta girls’ team played its way into the Division I title game from the lower-echelon Division II ranks.

In between were multiple all-state recognitions and selection to the 2008 and 2009 Utah elite regional team. And finally, bragging rights as the state’s supreme irritant.

“Another coach told me, ‘Taylor’s just so annoying,’” Alta head coach Megan Gorringe said.

“She’s very good at checking and just has the ability to frustrate other teams by taking the ball away over and over and over again.”

There were several qualities that set Dunn apart, but Gorringe zeroed in on two in particular: Fearlessness and the ability to control the midfield, and subsequently the tempo of the game.

“When a player plays without fear and just leaves it all out there on the field, granted they are going to make mistakes, but they do great things in the process because they’re not holding back at all,” Gorringe said. “And then she was instrumental in the midfield, especially defensively. She’s good at defense, and she’s good at attack.”

Dunn, who will attend Brigham Young University this fall on a full academic scholarship, acknowledged having highly competitive hard-wiring and a strong drive to achieve in all aspects of her life. She is the kind of player who could come away disappointed from one of Alta’s many lopsided wins this year, “because I felt I might not have brought my personal best.”

Dunn likes a pressurized environment and pushes herself toward perfection. But she’ll readily admit that her last year as a Hawk has been spectacular fun – and she is quick to share credit for her success with teammates, Gorringe and with standout players from rival teams.

“It’s amazing to get recognized for the effort I’ve put into it and have my teammates share along,” she said. “Their skills made me a better player by benefit of playing with them.”

Next year’s Alta team may very well be better than the 2010 squad, says Dunn, who will miss the high school camaraderie but will be joining some familiar faces if she makes the BYU team.

A succession of Alta players has moved on to the Cougars squad, and while they know Dunn is headed for Provo – along with senior teammates Danielle DeWaal, Jessica Staples and Jordan Boyce – Dunn has never spoken with BYU Coach Julie Smith.

“I figured I would wait and just show what I can do in tryouts,” she said.