Lone Peak girls soccer keeps rolling, blasts Pleasant Grove in second half
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- Lone Peak player congratulate senior Sam Sellers (center) after she scored a goal during the Region 3 game against Pleasant Grove in Highland on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.
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- Lone Peak senior Bella Devey kicks the ball during the Region 3 game against Pleasant Grove in Highland on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.
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- Pleasant Grove senior keeper Ryklee Wall tips the ball away during the Region 3 game against Lone Peak in Highland on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.
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- Lone Peak junior Hannah Heimuli knocks the ball down during the Region 3 game against Pleasant Grove in Highland on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.
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- Lone Peak junior Kate Fuller takes a shot during the Region 3 game against Pleasant Grove in Highland on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.
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- Pleasant Grove sophomore Aubrie Robins kicks the ball during the Region 3 game against Lone Peak in Highland on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.
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- Lone Peak players celebrate with junior Kate Fuller after she scored a goal during the Region 3 game against Pleasant Grove in Highland on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.
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- Lone Peak and Pleasant Grove players battle for the ball during the Region 3 game in Highland on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.
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- Pleasant Grove sophomore Aubrie Robins celebrates after scoring a goal during the Region 3 game against Lone Peak in Highland on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.
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- Lone Peak senior Brooke Hendricks (13) takes a shot during the Region 3 game against Pleasant Grove in Highland on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.
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- Lone Peak and Pleasant Grove players battle for the ball during the Region 3 game in Highland on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.
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- Lone Peak junior Kate Fuller brings the ball down during the Region 3 game against Pleasant Grove in Highland on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.
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- Lone Peak junior keeper Eliza Collings kicks the ball during the Region 3 game against Pleasant Grove in Highland on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.
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- Pleasant Grove sophomore Kloe Anderson kicks the ball during the Region 3 game against Lone Peak in Highland on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.
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- Lone Peak senior Sam Sellers kicks the ball during the Region 3 game against Pleasant Grove in Highland on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.
For a Pleasant Grove girls soccer team going on the road as underdogs against the undefeated defending 6A state champs from Lone Peak, the first half of Thursday’s Region 3 contest was almost as good as the Vikings could’ve hoped.
Although the Knights had scored first, Pleasant Grove had answered and headed into the break tied at 1-1.
Was an upset brewing?
A six-minute stretch early in the second half emphatically answered that question.
Lone Peak demonstrated how explosive it is as the Knight turned a tense, tie game into a rout with four goals in six minutes. The home team never looked back, pulling away for the 6-1 win over the Vikings.
“We focused on winning 50-50 balls, making our first passes, communicating, playing like we play,” Lone Peak senior Bella Devey said.
Knight head coach Shantel Jolley said Pleasant Grove played well but she felt her team needed to find its stride.
“Kudos to Pleasant Grove,” Jolley said. “They came out hard and had a game plan in place that made it very difficult for us to play our game. For us, this was the toughest game we’ve had so far, so it was a good test. It was good for us to see we aren’t invincible but it was good to see them respond as well.”
The first two Lone Peak goals came off of dangerous corner kicks from Devey.
In the 18th minute, she had one that almost went directly in but Pleasant Grove was just able to poke it away.
The ball fell to Knight junior Kate Fuller, however, who buried it from the top of the penalty box.
That lead was short-lived, however, as Viking sophomore Aubrie Robins pounced on a mis-hit ball in the Knight box and knocked it in for the equalizer.
“We have a lot of trust in Eliza Collings, our keeper,” Jolley said. “She doesn’t make many mistakes, so it didn’t take any belief out of her. We knew we were find and she would respond to the mistake. We knew she would step up.”
Devey said that even though it was tied at halftime, her team knew the opportunities would come.
“One thing we have struggled with this season is coming out hard,” Devey said. “I think that is a good lesson to learn. We knew who we are and that we weren’t playing how we need to play.”
In the 46th minute, Devey got another chance from the corner spot, putting it right in the middle of the box. After it pinballed around, Lone Peak senior Brooke Hendricks blasted a shot off a defender at the near post.
The deflection popped straight into the air and senior Sam Sellers won the jump ball, heading it in to give the home team the lead for good.
“We have to remember that we need to stay hungry,” Jolley said. “We are aware of the ability and talent, but just relying on that isn’t enough. We need to keep working hard.”
Devey said she loves seeing those corner kicks turn into game-changers like they did in that game.
“It’s the best feeling,” Devey said. “Any scoring feeling is great. I take a deep breath for each one and try to put it far post. I just know my team can get on it.”
Few teams in the state are as dangerous with some momentum as Lone Peak is and they showed it as Devey scored just a few seconds later after the Knights forced a turnover and senior Kate Denney found her making a run.
In the next few minutes, Fuller and Sellers would each get their second goals, while Devey finished the scoring with a brace of her own scored in the 58th minute.
Pleasant Grove head coach Matt Embley would’ve loved to see his team maintain the level of play the Vikings had in the first half but he still saw plenty of good things from his team.
“I will never question the heart and the fight of my girls this year,” Embley said. “There is not a single one of them who doesn’t give their all at every practice and every game. It got away from us for a few minutes there, but the fight continued. What I’m most proud about is the absolute hurt that I saw when they came off the field, because they knew they were better than the way they played for those 20 minutes when they put five goals in.”
Although her team is unbeaten, Jolley said she wants to see them get better at starting a game than they did on Thursday.
“It’s a chance to remind them of the standards we have,” Jolley said. “We have tried to create a program that has the same goal every year. We need to play to that and not to overlook anyone. We have needed this. It’s good for us.”
Lone Peak (8-0) next goes on the road to take on rival American Fork on Sept. 5 at 3:30 p.m., while Pleasant Grove (5-3) hosts Lehi on Sept. 6 at 7 p.m.
