4A STATE: Farrer, Timberwolves hold off Skyline on penalty kicks for title


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SANDY — Timpanogos and Skyline girls soccer programs have a history of competition and close-knit battles.

The Timberwolves and Eagles played twice during region play in 2014, with each team defending their home field. As both expected, the 2014 Class 4A state championship came down to which team would get a result under the lights at the home of Real Salt Lake in consecutive seasons.

Naturally, 100 minutes of soccer couldn’t settle this rivalry.

Aspyn Farrer converted the winning penalty kick after 100 minutes of scoreless soccer, and Timpanogos outlasted the Eagles, 7-6 in a shootout Friday night at Rio Tinto Stadium.

“It’s amazing,” Farrer said after accepting the trophy. “I was confident in my shot, and I was able to put it in. I love my team. This feels so good.”

Sabrina Brady, Natalie Reynolds, Sahalie Donaldson, Jordyn Chung-Hoon, Devri Hartle and Imelda Williams each converted their penalty kick for Timpanogos, which also advanced via penalty-kick shootout in a quarterfinal over Woods Cross.

Photo: Jeffrey D. Allred
Photo: Jeffrey D. Allred

Rachael Gordon, Cecile Murdock, Liza Zenger, Jaslyn Masina and Emma Heyn each converted from the spot for Skyline (17-3), which only allowed two goals in three previous state tournament matches.

“We knew it was going to be a close game,” first-year Timpanogos coach Megan Fereday said. “The girls handled the pressure great. They’ve been here before, so they played great.”

Both teams had chances in regulation to get it done, but Skyline goalkeeper Hillary Weixler and Timpanogos counterpart Carly Nelson exchanged saves with the athleticism of two street-ball basketball players finishing a game of H-O-R-S-E.

Weixler made the play of the night in regulation after Timpanogos (16-2) drew a penalty in the 49th minute. Senior team captain Chung-Hoon, the Region 7 MVP, stepped up to the spot to take it, and Weixler dropped low to parry the ball to her right and preserve the shutout.

“It’s frustrating. It’s the field players advantage, the shooter’s advantage (in those matches),” said Nelson, a junior. “But I just said ‘I will, if you will.’ I’m proud of this team.”

Nelson stepped up in the second extra-time, stoning a 25-yard free kick taken by Holly Daugirda one minute into the period to keep her bearings.

“Obviously, it’s nerve-wracking on the sidelines, but I just had so much confidence in Carly as a goalkeeper,” Fereday said. “She was huge for us, especially in that second-extra time. She made a lot of big saves, and we just had all the confidence in her.”

The Timberwolves jumped out to a 4-3 edge in the shootout, and with the match on the line, Nelson saved Madelyn Gill’s attempt to win the title. But a foul on the goalkeeper allowed Gill to re-take the kick, and she buried it to send it into extra rounds.

Still, Timpanogos refused to give up.

“We were not losing,” Farrer said. “We weren’t going to lose. If you have in your head that you aren’t walking off the field until you are a state champ, you will walk off a state champ. We weren’t going to lose, and we were going to do it as a team.”

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