Lehi Sports
Falcon boys soccer blitzes first two region foes
Beky Beaton / Lehi Free Press
The Skyridge boys soccer team went 1-2 against good teams in three consecutive one-goal matches in non-league action but then won the first two Region 3 matches comfortably. The season record now stands at 6-3.
March 11: Mountain Crest 1, Skyridge 0
Playing at home, the Mustangs found the net just four minutes into the contest and that turned out to be the difference as neither team was able to score after that. Junior goalkeeper Bryce Toole made two saves to keep his team in the contest. Junior defender Griffin Wall played well defensively in the loss.
March 13: Skyridge 1, Layton Christian Academy 0
In the very first minute, sophomore midfielder Brody Alleman scored off an assist from senior defender Luke Jensen to surprise the home squad. The Eagles had twice as many shots on goal as the visiting Falcons, but Toole saved all six of them to get the shutout and help cement the win for Skyridge.
March 18: Davis 1, Skyridge 0
The Darts were able to hit the target on their home pitch in the 16th minute to get an advantage they never relinquished. Toole had four saves in the effort, while Wall and Alleman had solid defensive games for the Falcons.
March 25: Skyridge 3, American Fork 0
The Falcons opened Region 3 play on the road against the defending 6A champions, and the teams dueled scoreless for most of the way in an evenly-matched contest in terms of possession time.
However, the visitors scored three times in the final 16 minutes to make the close match look like a runaway win. Senior defender Brady Wangsgard scored off a free kick in the 64th minute to break the impasse. He shot from the top of the penalty box into the far-right corner of the net.
Nine minutes later, senior midfielder Ryder Gentry scored at point-blank range off a give-and-go with Wangsgard. In the 79th minute, junior forward Miguel Ferraz completed a tally with a long shot following an assist from freshman forward Austen Hudson. Wall again led the defensive effort.
March 27: Skyridge 5, Lehi 1
The Pioneers scored first in the 11th minute, and it took twice that long for the Falcons to answer the score. However, it was all Skyridge after that as the visitors hit the target four more times to get the big win. Toole had two saves and led the defensive effort with Wall.
Wangsgard shot from near the top left corner of the penalty box across to the far-right corner of the net in the 22nd minute to register the equalizer with an assist from junior midfielder Jack Webster.
Three minutes later, senior defender Tacen Hendrickson received a give from Wangsgard and took a shot from inside the goalie box. The teams battled even for another 33 minutes until Wangsgard converted on a free kick from the left edge of the penalty box circle into the back left corner.
Skyridge added to the board again one minute later as junior midfielder Dallas Olander took a nice cross from senior defender Keith Gardner and booted the ball into the net from the top of the goalie box.
Gardner then took a turn scoring after receiving a pass from Hendrickson in the 66th minute to finish off the conquest.
The Falcons host Layton Christian Academy for the return engagement on Tuesday (Mar. 31) before resuming the Region 3 schedule by welcoming Corner Canyon on Wednesday (Apr. 1). Varsity game time is 5:15 p.m. Skyridge will then have a two-week game break.
