PROVO — The Lone Peak boys soccer team got just what the doctor ordered in its game against Timpview on Monday.
The Knights were undefeated but hadn't done much scoring, only putting two goals into the net through three games. Against the Thunderbirds, Lone Peak exploited a shaky defense and got to put some work in on its attack. For good measure the Knights added their third shutout of the season in a 3-0 win.
Although Lone Peak gave up most of the game's possession and most of the shots, mistakes on the backline put Timpview in a hole with no way out.
"We got the goals," said Lone Peak coach Dave Woolley. "We didn't look as pretty as we hope to look, but they've got a weakness. Their backline got caught in the wrong position, and we exploited that and we got our three goals."
Timpview's attack averaged more than three goals a contest coming into the game but met its match with the Knights' backline. T-Birds' star forward Sean Clark was well contained and never found any rhythm. In particular, the senior striker never got a chance to showcase his speed, especially on the wings where he's given other teams headaches.
"We were worried about our wing defender Riley Hadlock being too slow, and he shut (Clark) down over and over again on the wing," said Woolley. "We got to every one of those balls."
With his team struggling to score goals, Woolley had contemplated moving athletic defender Scott Wyman forward to give his team's attack a boost. The tactic turned out to be unnecessary when Timpview gifted the Knights a pair of scores. The goals allowed the Knights to keep their strongest players on defense and keep Timpview off balance.
Lone Peak pounced on a chance early in the first half when the T-Birds' goalkeeper was caught off his line trying to take the ball off the feet of Nate Fonbuena.
Fonbuena turned away and beat one more defender before tapping into the empty net from inside the six-yard box.
The Knights doubled the lead early in the second half, catching the goalkeeper off his line again and working an empty net 18-yard shot for James Sullivan in the 45th minute.
Timpview was still in the game when it got its best chance four minutes later. Clark broke a mini-run into the box and, even after falling under a hard challenge, outmaneuvered the goalkeeper and punched the ball over the goal line, but the assistant referee ruled him offsides on the play and the goal was taken away.
Tyler Mower put the finishing touches on in the 58th minute, slipping into space between two defenders and scoring off a one-touch pass from Kyle Barton.
In other soccer action:
UNION 3, CARBON 0: Niklas Goldenthal scored twice and Kyle Hicken added another goal for the Cougars. The Dinos were shutout, thanks in part to a strong effort by goalie Michael Winterton.