High school boys soccer: Wasatch, Roy win in extra time to advance to 5A championship

Published: May 20, 2024, 7:38 p.m. MDT

Wasatch celebrates after Bode Heelis scored in penalty kicks, giving their team the win over Hunter in a 5A boys soccer semifinal game at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Monday, May 20, 2024. Spenser Heaps, for the Deseret N

Carson Hilton has covered high school sports in Utah for the Deseret News since 2022.

Despite being the top team in 5A throughout the season, Wasatch effectively started its semifinal down 0-1 as Hunter’s Jeffrey Aguilar Perez quickly got a goal in the eighth minute of the game.

As the game progressed, the Wasps came up short on every chance it had at a goal and they found themselves still in a goal deficit with fifteen minutes left in the semifinal.

However, the undefeated Wasatch Wasps yet again found a way to win with a 4-2 shootout victory over Hunter and advanced to the 5A championship for the second consecutive year.

“With as poorly as we played, I’m just happy we were able to pull it off. What a fight by our boys,” said Wasatch head coach Lance Cosper. “Give it to Hunter, what a good team. They had a good game plan, they executed it well and just was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be and it was a great game by Hunter.”

After the Hunter goal, they shifted their focus to defense and tried to keep the defending champions scoreless. While Wasatch had multiple chances throughout the first half, the Wolverines held it off.

“We just made that one mistake and Hunter capitalized and it was a dogfight after that,” Cosper said. “They pulled back, pulled everyone behind the ball and made it hard for us to get in and score goals.

“We score goals, that’s what we’ve done all year. We have 65 goals this season no. Their defense was good, and their keeper was really good.”

Roy and Salem Hills compete in a 5A boys soccer semifinal game at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Monday, May 20, 2024. | Spenser Heaps, for the Deseret N

Wasatch celebrates after Bode Heelis, left, scored in penalty kicks, giving their team the win over Hunter in a 5A boys soccer semifinal game at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Monday, May 20, 2024. | Spenser Heaps, for the Deseret N

Wasatch and Hunter compete in a 5A boys soccer semifinal game at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Monday, May 20, 2024. | Spenser Heaps, for the Deseret N

Wasatch’s Jayden Cosper heads the ball in a 5A boys soccer semifinal game against Hunter at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Monday, May 20, 2024. | Spenser Heaps, for the Deseret N

Salem Hills’ Luke Christensen heads the ball ahead of Roy’s David Rangel in a 5A boys soccer semifinal game at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Monday, May 20, 2024. | Spenser Heaps, for the Deseret N

Salem Hills’ Ben Staheli heads the ball in a 5A boys soccer semifinal game against Roy at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Monday, May 20, 2024. | Spenser Heaps, for the Deseret N

Wasatch’s Jayden Cosper scores in penalty kicks in a 5A boys soccer semifinal game against Hunter at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Monday, May 20, 2024. | Spenser Heaps, for the Deseret N

Hunter’s Kallin Banza heads the ball over Wasatch’s Cole Simpson in a 5A boys soccer semifinal game at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Monday, May 20, 2024. | Spenser Heaps, for the Deseret N

Wasatch’s Bode Heelis tumbles ahead of Hunter’s Adan Almaraz in a 5A boys soccer semifinal game at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Monday, May 20, 2024. | Spenser Heaps, for the Deseret N

Salem Hills’ Carson Bybee and Roy’s Aidan Hart compete for the ball in a 5A boys soccer semifinal game at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Monday, May 20, 2024. | Spenser Heaps, for the Deseret N

Wasatch’s Bode Heelis scores in penalty kicks, giving his team the win over Hunter in a 5A boys soccer semifinal game at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Monday, May 20, 2024. | Spenser Heaps, for the Deseret N

Salem Hills’s Cash Anderson and Roy’s Corben Shuffenhaur move for the ball in a 5A boys soccer semifinal game at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Monday, May 20, 2024. | Spenser Heaps, for the Deseret N

Wasatch goalkeeper Jackson Medina celebrates after making a save in penalty kicks in a 5A boys soccer semifinal game against Hunter at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Monday, May 20, 2024. | Spenser Heaps, for the Deseret N

Hunter’s Kallin Banza moves the ball in a 5A boys soccer semifinal game against Wasatch at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Monday, May 20, 2024. | Spenser Heaps, for the Deseret N

Hunter goalkeeper Ariel Martinez secures the ball ahead of Wasatch’s Jayden Cosper in a 5A boys soccer semifinal game at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Monday, May 20, 2024. | Spenser Heaps, for the Deseret N

The Wasps largely retained possession throughout the second half and finally the equalizer came at the hands of Wasatch’s Jayden Cosper, who headed in a pass from Jace Kirkham in the 65th minute.

“It was one of the craziest moments of my life,” Jayden Cosper said. “The team is really well put together, we always come out with the win and I just love this team.

“Our coach came out with the urgency in the second half and the drive to win this game and I think that’s what helped us win this game. Honestly, there was not a doubt in my mind that we weren’t going to win that game. Our team always comes out on top, and we plan on winning state this year.”

With neither team finding a goal through either of the 10-minute overtime periods, the semifinal was going to be decided by a shootout.

Wasatch’s keeper Jackson Medina said he knew the game was over once the game went to a shootout.

“My opinion, I’m the best there is in the state at PKs,” Medina said. “Right when we went to PKs I knew we had it in the bag. I knew I had it under control and I knew my teammates were going to help me score and put it in.”

Medina showed up big for the Wasps in the shootout as he saved three of Hunters shots while his teammates notched four for the 4-2 shootout win.

“Some keepers guess but if you really watch you can see where they’re going,” said Medina. They’ll give little hints, eye movements, how their body goes to the ball, how their foot hits the ball, it’s all a key factor and I think I’ve mastered looking out for those. I knew I had it under control.”

With the win, Wasatch advanced to the 5A championship game for the fourth time in three years.

“My hat goes off to Hunter for how well they played, and just my boys for how they finished at the end,” said coach Cosper. “We’re excited to play in the final two years in a row.”

Roy 2, Salem Hills 1

The last time Roy reached the state championship was its 4A state championship in 2003. The Royals ended the drought with a 2-1 double overtime win over Salem Hills in the 5A semifinals.

“Obviously when a game like that goes to the wire you are just looking at whoever has enough heart to win it and I just told the boys to give all they had because that was all that was left,” said Roy head coach Craig Chalesworth.

Roy got out to a 1-0 lead midway through the first half with a goal from David Rangel on a penalty kick.

After that goal, Salem Hills did its best to retain possession and find an equalizer.

The SkyHawks kept up the pressure throughout the remainder of the first half and throughout the second half.

Salem Hills’ effort was finally rewarded with a goal from Carson Bybee, who also scored on a penalty kick.

The game continued through the first overtime period without either team breaking the tie.

However, in double overtime, Roy’s Aidan Hart headed a ball in from Hunter Patterson for the 2-1 semifinal win.

“I just saw the ball coming and I knew we needed a goal,” Hart said. “I just fought for it and tried to get it in the net.

“At first, I didn’t think it was going in but I saw it go in and it feels good to finally go to a state championship. We just played as a team, we did what we needed to do and held them off and it was all we needed.”

View Comments

It was an emotional win for the Royals; Chalesworth said reaching the championship was a goal from the beginning.

“These boys worked hard all year, they set that goal, we knew obstacles were coming with each team,” Chalesworth said. “Each week we said we had to get that game out of the way and go to the next one. It feels fantastic, it’s an amazing feeling.”

Roy will face undefeated Wasatch in the 5A championship at America First Field on Thursday.

“We haven’t seen a lot of Wasatch,” Chalesworth said. “We watched them in the game before us and a few little YouTube videos. It looks like they’re a pretty darn good team and we have a test in front of us, but we’re ready for it.”

Looking for comments?

Find comments in their new home! Click the buttons at the top or within the article to view them — or use the button below for quick access.