Unpredictable soccer reigns
Just when you think you have a handle on who are the top teams in each region, a round of upsets start becoming the order of the day.
Take a look at these scores from the past few days and see if you saw any of these games playing out the way they did:
Skyline 2, Brighton 0
Mountain Crest 2, Bountiful 2 (20T)
Northridge 5, Viewmont 0
Murray 1, Highland 0
The Eagles’ result impressed me most simply because of a bad situation off the field. Skyline has been dealing with the aftermath of a car accident that reportedly injured several players a week ago. It would be understandable for such a traumatic event to become a distraction. But Skyline rallied and earned a victory that will put them squarely in the running to finish as high as second or third in Region 2.
Viewmont’s loss is a little puzzling, given that the Vikings shut down a top-notch Davis team only a week earlier. The Knights aren’t exactly a heavyweight in Region 1 this season. If you’re a Vikings fan, that kind of inconsistency has to make you worry when the 5A tournament rolls around.
Murray’s victory over Highland is made surprising due to it being the second straight shutout that the Rams endured after rolling to a 7-0 start and top-5 ranking. The Rams’ defense has been of championship quality all season. But the offense needs to do something more if the team hopes to get another crack at a 4A title.
I applaud the Mustangs for forcing a tie with a Bountiful team that is clearly the class of Region 5 this season, especially since Mountain Crest has struggled as of late. But the Braves are vulnerable simply because Monica Okapal has been slowed by an ankle injury she suffered against Woods Cross. If Okapal can return to 100 percent by the playoffs, Bountiful will be nearly impossible to stop.
The most surprising score of all was not an upset by any means, but it was still an eye-catcher:
Alta 3, Hillcrest 2.
These two teams were actually 0-0 at halftime. The Huskies managed to stay toe-to-toe for 80 minutes and proved the Hawks might be mere mortals on the soccer field after all. Of course, that doesn’t mean they aren’t still runaway favorites to claim a third straight 5A soccer crown. But it does make things more interesting when teams can give Alta a game.
THURSDAY PM UPDATE: Going along with our earlier theme of unpredictable soccer, apparently ties have become all the rage in Region 5 these days.
Take a look at these scores:
Bountiful 3, Sky View 3 (20T)
Woods Cross 2, Bonneville 2 (20T)
The first-place Braves earned only one point for a second consecutive game. Bountiful needed a late rally to do it, storming back from a 3-1 deficit in the second half to force overtime and the tie.
As for the second-place Wildcats, they must feel fortunate just to walk away with a tie after Bonneville dominated possession and put many more shots on goal. Still, the Lakers trailed Woods Cross 2-1 in the second half until Jaiden Thornock found Kami Deed for the draw forcing goal.
The way things are starting to shape up, its going to be a crazy postseason.