Lehi Sports
Falcon girls soccer wins four straight
The Skyridge girls soccer team suffered a loss in the first match of a road trip but went on to net 21 goals to win four consecutive games including the first two Region 3 tilts. The Falcons are now 5-3 overall.
Aug. 9: Crimson Cliffs 2, Skyridge 0
“We arrived in St. George late Wednesday afternoon just in time to drop our stuff off at our condos, get changed, and head off to Crimson Cliffs, the first of three games in St. George,” said Coach Toby Peterson.
“We had been working all summer long on our conditioning and we thought we were prepared, but we didn’t take into account what a four-hour drive would do to our legs,” he continued. “We were heavy and couldn’t get into a groove.
“We fought hard on the defensive side of the ball and kept the score to 0-0 for most of the game, but we couldn’t settle in and get our shots to fall,” he said. In the final four minutes, the Mustangs converted twice on corners to get the win.
Aug. 10: Skyridge 3, Snow Canyon 2
“We rebounded nicely the following evening against Snow Canyon,” the coach said. The way the match opened, it looked like it might be a shootout. After the first 10 minutes of the game, the score was 2-1 for Skyridge.
As both teams settled in, the defensive battle took over until the 50th minute, when Snow Canyon tied the score. In the 75thminute, junior forward Kalena Bellini capitalized on an opportunity to give the Falcons the lead with her third goal of the day and the defense held firm until the final whistle blew.
Aug. 11: Skyridge 9, Pine View 1
“Thirteen hours later, we were back on the field preparing to take on our final opponent of the week,” Peterson said. “We weren’t certain how the game was going to go. This would be our sixth game in nine days and the girls were exhausted.
“However, when they took the field, they went to work with the goal being consistency,” he went on. “They knew what it felt like and knew what kind of effort would be required and that is exactly what they did.
“Each and every girl on that field performed exactly how we wanted them to, and the end result was a 9-1 victory,” the coach said.
The Falcons scored six times in the first half and added three more goals in the second period. The Panthers got their lone goal before the break.
Senior forward Mercede Sampson netted a hat trick to lead the offensive effort. Junior midfielder Reganne Poll and sophomore Allison Beard each scored twice while junior defender Emily MacDonald and senior forward Annika Johns added one more goal apiece.
“We returned home to a week-long break where were grateful for the time to focus on our composure and our finishing before region was due to begin,” Peterson said.
Aug. 22: Skyridge 2, Westlake 0
The Falcons scored both their goals in the first half and blanked the Thunder to earn a road victory to open Region 3 play.
“They came at us with a lot of energy, determined to make a statement,” the coach said. “Our composure, however, enabled us to work the ball through their pressure and capitalize when we found them slightly off balance.
“Senior midfielder Emily Noorda found the back of the net after chipping the ball past their keeper,” he added. “This goal provided us with the relief in pressure and then junior forward Rachel Boren gave us the final goal of the match on a breakaway.”
Seniors Allie Noorda and Emalynn Levingston each spent onehalf between the pipes to combine for the shutout.
Aug. 24: Skyridge 7, Pleasant Grove 1
“Although the final score was 7-1, Pleasant Grove fought hard the entire match and showed a tremendous amount of heart,” Peterson said. “We, however, were working well as a team, unified in our efforts and determined to be consistent, no matter what others throw our way.”
Kalena Bellini got her second hat trick of the year and sophomore defender Kate Scoville, Johns, senior midfielder Amanda Caswell and Boren also left their marks in this game.“It was our defense though that prevented PG from gaining any more momentum,” the coach said.
“I am proud of this group. As I said before, they are unified in their efforts, and if they can remain consistent in that effort, we will have a great season ahead of us,” Peterson concluded.
