Last-minute goal gets Lone Peak girls soccer past Layton in 6A semifinals
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- Lone Peak players celebrate after scoring a goal during the 6A semifinal game against Layton at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023.
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- Lone Peak players celebrate after scoring a goal during the 6A semifinal game against Layton at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023.
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- Lone Peak sophomore Ivy Harding (23) watches the ball go into the net as she scored a goal during the 6A semifinal game against Layton at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023.
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- Lone Peak junior Ruby Lee heads the ball during the 6A semifinal game against Layton at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023.
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- Lone Peak players celebrate after the 6A semifinal game against Layton at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023.
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- Lone Peak and Layton players battle for the ball during the 6A semifinal game at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023.
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- Lone Peak senior Brinn Beck kicks the ball during the 6A semifinal game against Layton at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023.
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- Lone Peak sophomore Bailee Zenther traps the ball during the 6A semifinal game against Layton at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023.
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- Lone Peak junior Brooke Hendricks (left) battles for the ball Lone Peak senior Naia Tanuvasa heads the ball during the 6A semifinal game against Layton at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023.
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- Lone Peak sophomore Ivy Harding (left) battles for the ball during the 6A semifinal game against Layton at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023.
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- Lone Peak senior Naia Tanuvasa heads the ball during the 6A semifinal game against Layton at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023.
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- Lone Peak junior Samantha Sellers kicks the ball during the 6A semifinal game against Layton at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023.
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- Lone Peak sophomore Kate Fuller passes the ball between a host of defenders during the 6A semifinal game against Layton at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023.
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- Lone Peak junior Bella Devey (center) attacks during the 6A semifinal game against Layton at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023.
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- Lone Peak junior Bella Devey takes a corner kick during the 6A semifinal game against Layton at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023.
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- Lone Peak senior Naia Tanuvasa heads the ball during the 6A semifinal game against Layton at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023.
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- Lone Peak junior Bella Devey (center) attacks during the 6A semifinal game against Layton at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023.
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- Lone Peak sophomore keeper Eliza Collings (right) kicks the ball away during the 6A semifinal game against Layton at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023.
Having the clock tick down to under a minute to play in a 0-0 tie in Tuesday’s 6A girls soccer semifinal game against No. 6-seed Layton resulted in an unforeseen benefit for No. 2-seed Lone Peak
Lone Peak junior defender Ruby Lee usually stays back to protect against the counterattack but when Knight junior Brooke Hendricks earned a corner kick with very little time left in the second half, Lone Peak head coach Shantel Jolley figured there wasn’t much to lose by sending Lee forward.
Knight junior Bella Devey sent the ball sailing to the far side of the Lancer penalty box where it just cleared the head of senior Brooklyn Dowdle — only to have Lee head it back into the middle.
That’s where Lone Peak sophomore Ivy Harding was waiting.
“I saw the ball go over my head and then I saw Ruby head it in,” Harding said. “It came right to my foot and no one was there. I just hit it right down the middle. Honestly, I was just in the right spot.”
The ball hit the back of the net, sparking a wild Knight celebration on the field.
“I was just so happy,” Harding said. “I didn’t even know where to run, then we just kind of piled on top of each other. It was awesome.”
Layton only had 50 seconds to find an answer but the Lone Peak defense didn’t let the Lancers have a good look and the time ran out, giving the Knights the 1-0 victory and a spot in the 6A finals.
“I’m so excited,” Harding said. “We’re going to finish it off.”
Lone Peak has come into the last few 6A tournaments as the team to beat but ended up getting upset. The Knights haven’t won a title since 2018.
Those disappointments certainly were something the Lone Peak players hadn’t forgotten.
“Definitely early on, we could tell,” Jolley said. “There are always nerves but we tell them they should really only be nervous and anxious if you are afraid and fearful and don’t feel prepared. But they’ve done nothing but prepare for moments like this.
“There’s always a lingering thought of last year’s semis but I think at this point that semifinal loss probably helped us today.”
Lone Peak had faced Layton earlier in the season and rolled to a 4-0 win, but this one wasn’t nearly as lopsided.
“The playoffs are just a whole other beast,” Jolley said. “Anything can happen. Layton wanted it as bad as we did. I think talent goes out the window a little bit more and it’s just essentially who’s going to work the hardest. And we got one today.”
Part of the challenge the Lancers presented came from an adjustment they made in their formation.
“They played more of a 4-4-2 instead of the 4-3-3 they originally player,” Jolley said. “I assume they did that to basically handle our midfield that way because our midfield is solid. They needed to get an extra body in there to try limit our chances in the midfield. When we realized there was four above, we tried to make the adjustment on the run to play to get one of our forwards to kind of pinch in to help with our numbers.”
Lone Peak did have more opportunities, including having a shot by sophomore Kate Fuller hit the top of the crossbar and another deflect off the outside of the post.
Layton’s best chance came on a long shot in the 50th minute as Knight sophomore keeper Eliza Collings had to dive to the side to push it out.
As things stayed scoreless deeper and deeper into the match, there was a sense of urgency from both sides. Jolley said she felt the whole time that her team was on the verge of breaking through.
“With the players we have up there, they’ve been rock stars this season,” Jolley said. “It’s hard for me to ever imagine a team being able to shut us out. I always have a belief we’re going to get one.”
In the end, Jolley said, it was fitting to have victory come down to a successful corner kick.
“I stress to these girls that the moment the playoffs start, games are lost and won on set pieces,” Jolley said. “We preached that and preach that and preach that, so I feel like a prophet because we won this game because of what we’ve been stressing.”
Now the Knights turn their attention to facing Region 3 foe American Fork in the 6A state championship.
When asked if she was excited to face the rival Cavemen in the final, Harding just grinned and said, “Oh, yeah.”
The Knights are scheduled to take on American Fork for the title at America First Field in Sandy on Friday at 11 a.m.
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