Knight conquest: Lone Peak girls soccer uses near-flawless performance to beat AF, win 6A title
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- Lone Peak players celebrate with junior Brooke Hendricks (13) after she scored a goal during the 6A championship game against American Fork at America First Field in Sandy on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023.
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- Lone Peak players pose for a photo the title trophy after winning the 6A championship game at America First Field in Sandy on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023.
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- Lone Peak players celebrate after winning the 6A championship game at America First Field in Sandy on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023.
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- American Fork junior Tayla Crandell kicks the ball away from Lone Peak junior Samantha Sellers during the 6A championship game at America First Field in Sandy on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023.
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- Lone Peak junior Samantha Sellers shoots a shot during the 6A championship game against American Fork at America First Field in Sandy on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023.
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- Lone Peak senior Naia Tanuvasa traps the ball during the 6A championship game against American Fork at America First Field in Sandy on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023.
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- Lone Peak players celebrates with junior Samantha Sellers (center) after she scored a goal during the 6A championship game against American Fork at America First Field in Sandy on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023.
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- Lone Peak junior Brooke Hendricks and American Fork junior Estee Schneider battle for the ball during the 6A championship game at America First Field in Sandy on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023.
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- Lone Peak junior Bella Devey has her cross blocked by an American Fork defender during the 6A championship game at America First Field in Sandy on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023.
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- Lone Peak junior Bella Devey (center) watches her shot roll toward the goal during the 6A championship game against American Fork at America First Field in Sandy on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023.
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- Lone Peak and American Fork players attempt to head the ball on a corner during the 6A championship game at America First Field in Sandy on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023.
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- Lone Peak junior Brooke Hendricks races up the field with American Fork junior Estee Schneider in pursuit during the 6A championship game at America First Field in Sandy on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023.
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- Lone Peak junior Samantha Sellers kicks the ball during the 6A championship game against American Fork at America First Field in Sandy on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023.
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- A Lone Peak player kicks the ball during the 6A championship game against American Fork at America First Field in Sandy on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023.
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- American Fork junior Lila Millward dribbles the ball during the 6A championship game against Lone Peak at America First Field in Sandy on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023.
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- Lone Peak junior Islay Smith blocks the kick of American Fork senior Sophie Eckery during the 6A championship game at America First Field in Sandy on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023.
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- Lone Peak players celebrate after winning the 6A championship game at America First Field in Sandy on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023.
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- American Fork junior Lucy Kesler kicks the ball during the 6A championship game against Lone Peak at America First Field in Sandy on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023.
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- American Fork senior Ellie Cook kicks the ball during the 6A championship game against Lone Peak at America First Field in Sandy on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023.
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- Lone Peak senior Brinn Beck passes the ball during the 6A championship game against American Fork at America First Field in Sandy on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023.
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- American Fork junior Lila Millward kicks the ball during the 6A championship game against Lone Peak at America First Field in Sandy on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023.
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- American Fork junior Lucy Kesler slide tackles the ball away from Lone Peak junior Islay Smith during the 6A championship game at America First Field in Sandy on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023.
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- Lone Peak players celebrate after winning the 6A championship game at America First Field in Sandy on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023.
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- American Fork players pose for a photo with the runner-up trophy after the 6A championship game at America First Field in Sandy on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023.
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- Lone Peak players count down the final seconds at the end of the 6A championship game at America First Field in Sandy on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023.
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- Lone Peak players celebrate after winning the 6A championship game at America First Field in Sandy on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023.
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- Lone Peak players celebrate after winning the 6A championship game at America First Field in Sandy on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023.
In during the 2021 and 2022 seasons, the Lone Peak girls soccer team won an impressive 32 total games.
The Knights, however, had to live with the fact that the season ended on a day when they didn’t play their best.
That is not the case in 2023.
Lone Peak put together one of its most complete performances of the year in Friday’s 6A championship game against American Fork at America First Field in Sandy, playing elite soccer in all facets on their way to an impressive 5-0 victory.
“It was so fun to finally play to our full potential,” Knight senior defender Brinn Beck said. “It was our last game so it’s bittersweet for all of us, especially the seniors. But the chemistry this team has is unreal. We wanted to play our best game and I think we totally did that.”
Lone Peak senior midfielder Naia Tanuvasa said being part of that type of performance on the biggest stage was amazing.
“Everyone just showed up and it was pretty to watch,” Tanuvasa said. “I feel like everyone was playing well together.”
The Knights seized control almost from the opening kickoff, scoring in the second minute of play.
Lone Peak sophomore keeper Eliza Collings blasted a long kick and junior Bella Devey got just enough of a header to put it in the path of junior Brooke Hendricks.
“Eliza and I are on the same club team so I’m used to that,” Hendricks said. “Then Bella got that header and I saw opportunity to get in. Then I just finished to the best of my ability.”
Her blast from 15 yards out allowed the Knights to play from in front, which usually makes it easier to stay loose.
“It was really relieving to not have to stress until the last minute,” Tanuvasa said. “We could just relax and play.”
Lone Peak did just that, keeping the ball mostly on the American Fork side of the field and creating a number of opportunities.
“I cannot be prouder,” Lone Peak head coach Shantel Jolley said. “If these girls are going to show up and work hard, we feel like the results will take care of themselves because we’ve got the talent. For them to actually come out and score one early, it just defines exactly we’ve been preaching.”
For 20 minutes, the Cavemen were one play away from tying things up but the Knight backline refused to give American Fork much to work with.
Instead, it was Lone Peak who pulled away with a flurry of goals.
The second came in the 22nd minute when junior Samantha Sellers managed to turn and fire a gorgeous right-footed shot inside the far post.
Four minutes later, Devey tracked down another long ball from Collings and hammered it in for the 3-0 lead.
Any hope of a dramatic American Fork comeback was squashed right after halftime when Sellers came slicing in to redirect a cross from Hendricks.
Fifteen minutes later, she did it again on a similar play — this one coming from Devey — to finish the scoring and leave no doubt about the outcome.
“You’ve got to give Lone Peak credit,” Caveman head coach Derek Dunn said. “They’ve have a great team and they really put it together this year.
Even though American Fork didn’t get the outcome it wanted, Dunn said his team accomplished a lot in 2023.
“I’m super proud of our school and of the things we’ve done,” Dunn said. “You always want the seniors to leave holding hardware and unfortunately, it’s not the one we wanted but they had a great opportunity to play here. I hope they hold their heads up high.”
For the Knights, though, it was time to celebrate a year when they finally got to achieve their state-championship goal.
“The biggest thing I think every year is what kind of leadership are you going to have?” Jolley said. “We’re only graduating five seniors but as a smaller class they led this team. They got the respect of the juniors and they did a great job just leading the team from the beginning.”
Hendricks said she feels like she learned a lot for the Knight seniors that she will look to implement moving forward.
“We’re going to miss them next year,” Hendricks said. But I’m glad that they could go like this. I definitely learned the love that they have for the team. I know we all want to carry that on and just be like them.”
For Tanuvasa and Beck, who endured a couple of years of heartache, finishing as champs is something special.
“It doesn’t feel real honestly,” Beck said. “This is the perfect team for this to happen to. We are like sisters and we do everything together. We deserve this more than anything.”
Tanuvasa said: “It was a perfect ending. I don’t know how else to say it. It was exactly how you would want it to happen.”
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