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Cupcake time: Lehi boys soccer stuffs Stansbury in PKs to win 5A semifinal

By Jared Lloyd - | May 23, 2022
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Lehi sophomore keeper Kaleb Cowley blocks a penalty kick during the shootout of the 5A semifinal game against Stansbury at Juan Diego High School in Draper on Monday, May 23, 2022.
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Lehi players celebrate with sophomore keeper Kaleb Cowley after the shootout of the 5A semifinal game against Stansbury at Juan Diego High School in Draper on Monday, May 23, 2022.
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Lehi players and fans celebrate after winning the shootout of the 5A semifinal game against Stansbury at Juan Diego High School in Draper on Monday, May 23, 2022.
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Lehi junior Alfred Vargas takes the final penalty kick of the shootout in the 5A semifinal game against Stansbury at Juan Diego High School in Draper on Monday, May 23, 2022.
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Lehi sophomore keeper Kaleb Cowley blocks a penalty kick during the shootout of the 5A semifinal game against Stansbury at Juan Diego High School in Draper on Monday, May 23, 2022.
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Lehi players prepare for the shootout of the 5A semifinal game against Stansbury at Juan Diego High School in Draper on Monday, May 23, 2022.
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Lehi freshman Gavin Fenn heads the ball during the 5A semifinal game against Stansbury at Juan Diego High School in Draper on Monday, May 23, 2022.
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Stansbury keeper Devun Collins pulls a cross out of the air during the 5A semifinal game against Lehi at Juan Diego High School in Draper on Monday, May 23, 2022.
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Lehi freshman Gavin Fenn takes the ball upfield during the 5A semifinal game against Stansbury at Juan Diego High School in Draper on Monday, May 23, 2022.
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Lehi and Stansbury players battle for the ball during the 5A semifinal game at Juan Diego High School in Draper on Monday, May 23, 2022.
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Lehi players celebrate with freshman Gavin Fenn (center) after he scored a goal during the 5A semifinal game against Stansbury at Juan Diego High School in Draper on Monday, May 23, 2022.
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Lehi senior Cesar Morales Mendoza settles the ball during the 5A semifinal game against Stansbury at Juan Diego High School in Draper on Monday, May 23, 2022.

How would you describe a cupcake?

Adjectives like sweet, crumbly and delicious probably come to mind when talking about the baked treat.

The Lehi boys soccer team, however, might use words like tough, clutch and ice-cold.

Of course, they would be talking about sophomore keeper Kaleb “Cupcake” Cowley, who put all of those attributes on display during the penalty kick shootout of Monday’s 5A semifinal against Stansbury at Juan Diego High School in Draper.

With a spot in the title game on the line, Cowley stood tall between the pipes, stopping three of the Stallion shots (and getting a hand on the fourth) as the Pioneers emerged with the 1-1 (3-1 in PKs) win.

“Stansbury is one of the finest, gutsiest teams I’ve ever seen,” Lehi head coach Tim Graham said. “They just didn’t quit. But that’s soccer.”

Cowley — who said he got the “Cupcake” nickname when he was 8-years-old and his mom posted a photo on social media that made him look a little like the dessert — said he felt confident as he stepped up for the shootout.

“I used to be worried about it but I figured out how to tell where they are shooting, so it is not too bad,” Cowley said. “It felt really good to get those stops.”

Graham said Cowley has shown all year that he has a knack for getting his team through those tense penalty kick moments.

“When he came up, he told me his nickname was ‘Cupcake,'” Graham said. “I thought, ‘Cupcake,’ that’s kind of soft. But that is the toughest kid we have. He has dominated in PKs for us. His demeanor is incredible. He’s mellow and keeps everyone calm. He said, ‘we got it, don’t stress out.’ Kudos to him.”

Lehi senior defender Tyson Haunga said it was impressive to see Cowley go to work.

“It’s nerve-wracking but we were prepare for penalty kicks,” Haunga said. “Cupcake has very much turned things around for the program and we probably wouldn’t be where we are at without him.”

The Stallions shot first and went to their right (Cowley’s left) on each attempt. The Pioneer sophomore went that way each time, putting himself in position to make multiple stops.

Meanwhile, three of the four Lehi players (senior Christian Jones, junior Nathan Shepherd and junior Alfred Vargas) put their shots in. Vargas went last and when his shot hit the net, it sparked the wild celebration for the Pioneers.

Graham said it was thrilling to see his team be able to savor the sweet taste of success.

“I see their faces and see their resiliency,” Graham said. “It’s been amazing to see them come in and change things around for us. To see the program achieve it has been incredible.”

Lehi started the scoring in the ninth minute of action when freshman Gavin Fenn weaved through the Stansbury defense and hit a booming strike that the Stallion keeper had no chance to stop.

But Stansbury equalized in the 31st minute off a shot by senior Archer Loertscher, putting the pressure on both teams.

The Pioneers had more shots during the run of play but the Stallions got the best chance at the golden goal when a shot in the second overtime hit off the post.

“I thought we were playing fantastic and in the second half we dominated, but whenever adversity comes in front of these boys, they fight through it,” Graham said.

With the win, Lehi advances to the 5A title game where it will face Region 7 foe Alta. The Hawks edged Skyline in a penalty kick shootout in the other semifinal.

“My freshman year wasn’t so great but every year we’ve gotten better,” Haunga said. “It’s nice to see that we made it to our final goal. Having a bond and developing chemistry with each player has been the key.”

The championship match between the Pioneers and Alta will take place at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy on Wednesday with kickoff scheduled for 2 p.m.

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