After winning the 3A soccer title with a 2-1 win over Park City, Lehi not only wanted to bask in the game's glory, it wanted to wallow in the mud.
Two days of heavy rains on the Pioneer's home field - site of the 3A state tournament - and heavy use turned the center of the field into a postgame, makeshift-victory mudslide, where players and even coaches were so happy they got down and dirty to celebrate.The title is the first for Lehi, and according to coach Brett Bergholm, it has been a long time coming.
"We have worked for this for so many years," he said. "We knew that this was the day. This is one of the greatest feelings I have ever felt."
The two schools were Region 10 co-champions, splitting the regular season games, making the decisive game all the better for the Pioneers.
"We were hoping to catch them in the finals," Bergholm said. "We feel we really deserve this."
Park City took a 1-0 lead in the first half when a long boot from the Park City defense took a Miner bounce that allowed Jordan Krieger to outrun Lehi's defense. She streaked alone down the center of the field, pursued by nine white-shirted Pioneers, and toed a shot into the net, high and away from freshman keeper Lynnsey Asay.
Before the half, Lehi tied it on a Shelley Bartholomew put-back. The play was set up by a corner kick after the ball pinballed off several players from each team and the cross bar.
The winning goal came with just five minutes left on another corner kick. Alisha Kolowich sent a high arching shot that found the net after a Park City player attempted to knock it out of the air.
"It is a game of bounces," said Miner coach Julian Martinez, who had a team goal to win three games this season. "We had a couple (shots) that looked like they were in."