Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
HERRIMAN — The dream to back-to-back is alive and well.
No. 1 Lone peak defeated No. 4 Syracuse to keep their three-game shutout streak alive, their undefeated season alive, and, most importantly, advance to the 6A state championship, looking to go back-to-back as champions.
"I've learned through the years, we are not defending a title, we are going for another one," head coach Shantel Jolley said. "It is this team winning one this year, but back-to-back is nice to go with it."
Lone Peak nearly got on the board in the 24th minute when Sam Sellers found an opening on the left side of the box, but a great save by Syracuse keeper Erin Bott left the game scoreless.
The Knights had an incredible save of their own, but not by the keeper.
Syracuse lofted a ball over the Lone Peak keeper's arms and defender Ada Villarreal sprinted to the goal and saved the shot just before it crossed the line, which rewarded her with a standing ovation from the crowd at Zions Bank Stadium.
"If that goal goes in, it is a different game. It would be a scenario we have never seen before in being down a goal. I'm really glad we did not have to learn that lesson," Jolley said.
The scoring opened in the 43rd minute when Ivy Harding launched a 44-yard shot that found the back of the net, sparking a struggling Lone Peak offense up to that point.
The Knights controlled the ball for what seemed like the entirety of the first 45 minutes, getting shot after shot at the goal, but nothing was finding the net.
In the 42nd minute, the Knights had another scoring opportunity with Sicily Stevens one-on-one with Bott, who made a diving effort to push the ball just past the post, knotting her seventh save in the first half.
But eventually, the wall would break.
Harding fired a shot from 44-yards out to break the tie and put the Knights ahead 1-0.
Huge goal from Lone Peak's Ivy Harding in the 38th minute to take a 1-0 lead over Syracuse in the 6A semifinal pic.twitter.com/hHlX7X5Za5
— Carson Hilton (@CarsonLHilton) October 22, 2024
And then, 10 minutes into the second half, the Knights found nylon again with Brooke Hendricks getting past the defense and firing a shot past Bott to push the Knights ahead 2-0.
The Titans, however, had a chance to trim the lead with a penalty kick in the 70th minute, but the kick went high off the crossbar, and the Titans were unable to corral the ball for a lost opportunity.
The Knights scored in the 89th minute to add the cherry on top.
Lone Peak will face the winner of Davis and Mountain Ridge in the 6A state final on Friday at 2 p.m. MDT at Zions Bank Stadium.
