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SALT LAKE CITY — For the first time in Utah youth soccer history, a national championship has been won.
Lone Peak product Kate Schirmer scored a hat trick to lead Utah Celtic FC to a 9-1 win over Lou Fusz-Elam from St. Louis in the U.S. Youth Soccer U-19 national championship game Sunday in Overland Park, Kansas.
"It's been a great experience working with the goals," Celtic coach Steve Magleby told the Deseret News. "I've been the coach for about five years now and seeing all the hard work pay off with the national championship, especially because this is their last year together, they’re all heading off to college.
"Our last game together is a national championship."
Schirmer, who will play at Snow College, scored in the 25th, 32nd and 86th minutes for Celtic, a club based in Orem that also got goals from Utah-bound Anna Pickering and BYU commit Tara Warner of Springville en route to a 4-0 halftime lead.
The lead only increased as UCLA commit Brecken Mozingo of Alta and Minnesota-bound Samantha Brady of Timpanogos scored in the second half before Fusz-Elam pulled one back in the 85th minute to make it 7-1.
But Utah added goals from Schirmer, Utah State signee Megan Astle of Corner Canyon and SLCC commit Rebecca Olsen of American Fork to capture the first UYSA U-19 national title in state history.
THEY. DID. IT! @UtahCelticFC 00 are @USYouthSoccer 19U National Champions! They defeated Lou Fusz Elam from Missouri, 9-1 to take home Utah's first ever National Championship! #TheBeaUTAHfulGame#Champspic.twitter.com/uRRqoVpPlR
— Utah Youth Soccer (@UtahYouthSoccer) July 28, 2019
The two teams previously tied, 0-0 in group player earlier at the national championships. It was the only blemish on the Utah squad's record, who went 15-0-1 in the tournament.
"We were a different team than when we played them in the group, but they were different also," Fusz coach Mike Elam told St. Louis Today. "This was a tough game. We progressed, but they did, too."
Celtic went undefeated en route to championships in the Utah State Cup and Far West Regional Championships, including shutouts in all six matches in the regional round prior to the national tournament.
