Throughout the middle half of the 2022 season, Bountiful’s defense was bleeding goals, 25 to be exact, over a nine-game stretch. There was no shortage of scoring at the other end of the field, with 23 goals scored during that stretch, but it was hardly a recipe for consistent success — especially in the playoffs.
Bountiful’s coaching staff could sense the need for a change, and late in the regular season switched up formations from a 4-3-3 to a 4-4-2.
The results have been better than coach Lou Plank could’ve hoped for, and Bountiful now finds itself on the doorstep of its first state championship in a decade and a half.
Bountiful blanked Cedar Valley 2-0 in the first 5A semifinal at Juan Diego High School on Tuesday morning to book its place in Friday’s 5A final against Skyline, which won the second semifinal.
Aided by the change in system, Bountiful has now won six straight games with five shutouts and an 18-1 goal differential.
“We went from playing 4-3-3 to the 4-4-2 to and suddenly there’s a whole new dimension to the game, finding slots that weren’t there. There’s more on offense and more on defense, we’re just collectively better,” said Bountiful captain Caroline Hellewell.
Plank said the defensive improvement has been the biggest benefit to the formation change.
“We have a handful of very competent players who can score, and with the switch to the 4-4-2 those girls have been able to be more prolific in the scoring department and our midfielder is tighter with one more person in there,” said Plank.
Early goals each half were key for the Redhawks against Cedar Valley in the semis.
Bountiful struck first just six minutes into the match as Belle Sorensen slipped a through ball in behind Cedar Valley’s defense that Ellyse Kesler ran onto and whipped past the keeper for the early 1-0 lead.
The Redhawks doubled the lead just a couple minutes into the second half as Chloe Pickett slotted home a penalty kick following a hand ball in the box by Cedar Valley on a corner kick.
Cedar Valley naturally pushed players higher up the field throughout the second half in hopes of a breakthrough, but Bountiful’s now stout defense never wilted. Keeper Daisy Williams made a huge breakaway save in the 65th minute to keep her shutout and maintain the important two-goal advantage.
In the second 5A semifinal, defending state champ showed off its quality in a 1-0 victory over Timpanogos for an eighth straight victory.
Lily Hall broke the deadlock late in the first half on a 30-yard bomb that dipped in over Timpanogos’ keeper for her 25th goal of the season.
Hall collected the ball in the middle of the field and quickly turned up field. Nobody on Timpanogos stepped toward Hall so she just kept dribbling and taking the space the T-Wolves were giving, eventually uncorking a shot 30 yards out.
“She’s an incredible players and she’s also one of the hardest workers on the team. That was an incredible shot, I don’t think a goal in the state could stop that one,” said Skyline coach Yamil Castillo.
Defensively, Skyline kept Timpanogos off the scoreboard that had only been shut out twice all season.
“(My) girls are well educated and they know the game and they kept their composure. We knew that (Summer Christensen) was an amazing player, we knew that we couldn’t let her touch the ball. And that’s what they did, they helped each other, they overlapped,” said Castillo.
Skyline and Bountiful will square off at 10 a.m. on Friday at Zions Banks Stadium in Herriman.
The Eagles will be appearing in their third state championship game in the past four years, and they’ve won in the previous two appearances.