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DRAPER — The Timpanogos girls soccer team was put under siege by Box Elder in a Class 4A state semifinal at Juan Diego Tuesday morning.
The Bees outshot the Timberwolves 9-4 in the first 60 minutes of the match, but goalkeeper Carly Nelson kept them in the game.
And when the match went to a penalty kick shootout, Nelson stepped up once again.
Nelson made two saves in the shootout and also converted a penalty kick to help the defending 4A champion Timberwolves advance to their third straight state championship with a 6-5 edge after finishing two extra periods tied 0-0.
"It's frickin' awesome," said Nelson, whose attempt was the first-ever penalty kick taken of her career. "It's so exciting, and I'm glad to be back."
Nelson was confident in her shot, as was Timpanogos head coach Megan Fereday, when Nelson stepped to the spot with the Timberwolves' fourth kick of the shootout.
"Just make it," she remembered saying to herself. "I was going to make it. That's all that went through my head."
Shaylie Weenig, Imelda Williams, Aspyn Farrer, Samantha Brady and Jadie Christenson also converted in the shootout for the Timberwolves (9-5-3) — a year after besting Skyline in the state finals via penalty shootout.
After Weenig and Williams converted to force a 2-2 shutout draw with three shooters, Nelson pushed a shot off the crossbar after converting her kick to take a 3-2 lead after four rounds.
But Box Elder's Emily Davies converted her attempt to force extra kicks after both teams tied 3-3. Farrer, Brady and Christenson converted in extra kicks, and Nelson made a spectacular save on Brianna Powell's eighth overall attempt to get the win.
"We have all the confidence in the world in Carly," Fereday said. "She always comes up big with big saves, in the game. She keeps us in games. But she came up big, and then going into shootouts, we love having Carly there. We are really confident, and we know she'll make all the big saves."
Semifinals at Juan Diego High School Timpanogos 0, Box Elder 0 (Timpanogos advances via shootout, 6-5 Skyline 3, Wasatch 0Final at Rio Tinto Stadium Timpanogos vs. Skyline, 4 p.m. Friday
Davies, Paige Stevens, Sadie Munns, MaKayla Barnes and Elizabeth Durrans converted a penalty for Box Elder, which was in its second straight shootout after upsetting Timpview 4-2 in the quarterfinals.
Nelson made six saves in regulation, and Box Elder goalkeeper Markell Freeman had three as each earned a shutout.
"Our defense shut them out, and we held them pretty good," Nelson said. "I'm really proud of them."
Box Elder (11-7-1) put all the pressure on the defending champs in the first half, outshooting the Timberwolves 6-1 and forcing Nelson to make four saves to keep the match scoreless at halftime.
But Farrer entered as a substitute with 10 minutes remaining in regulation, and almost from that moment Timpanogos turned the Bees' one-way traffic into more danger for the Utah County side.
Brady, a freshman, nearly pulled through in the 71st minute, but Freeman parried the shot aside and help force extra time.
"We have multiple girls from last year coming back. Our senior leaders are stepping up, and they've been here before," Fereday said. "They know what it takes to win — that drive — and they bring it out on the field. I'm really happy about that."
Both teams lifted two shots on goal apiece in the two extra-time periods, including Stevens' shot for Box Elder that caromed off the post in the 86th minute.
"We are so, so excited to be in the finals again," Fereday said. "I think we played a great second half and really turned it around. We had some opportunities to put it away that we need to finish earlier. But I'm proud of these girls, and we're going back to Rio Tinto."
SKYLINE 3, WASATCH 0 — Emma Heyn scored a second-half brace, and Holly Daugirda added a goal and an assist to help the Eagles advance to their third-straight 4A final with a win over Wasatch. Heyn scored the first goal of the day from the run of play with a roaring shot from the left side that swerved over Wasatch goalkeeper Torri Bills in the 48th minute. Daugirda started the counter attack with a long ball over Wasatch (14-2-3) that found Heyn on the breakaway, and the senior made the most of her chance.
The goal snapped Wasatch's six-game shutout streak at just over 500 minutes. The Wasps hadn't given up a goal since Sept. 17 in a 4-1 win at Uintah, and Bills leads the state with 12 shutouts.
"We've scored 92 goals this year; this is our year. We had a goal, and this will be our third time in the championship against the same team," Skyline coach Yamil Castillo said. "I'm glad we got Timpanogos; this is our year. The girls were determined, and they are going to get it done this year. I believe they are going to get it done this year. It's a lot of chemistry, and it's all about a team effort.
"I knew we had the forwards to get going, and they are going to keep fighting and fighting. We'll see what happens."
Heyn added her second of the match with a shot from close range that caromed off the near post and into the back of the net.
"Emma has been getting fed a lot of balls by Holly, but she know hows to smell the goal," Castillo said of the Eagles' leading scorer. "She knows where to be. She took her opportunities, and she got two beautiful goals by her today."
Daugirda finished the scoring with just under two minutes remaining, rounding the last defender before placing her shot inside the far post for the Eagles (17-1-1).
Myah Tatton made her first save of the game in the second half for Skyline, diving on a breakaway shot from the left side to preserve the shutout in the 61st minute and set up the all Region 7 title bout Friday.
The final is set for Friday at 4:30 p.m. at Rio Tinto Stadium .
