As usual, Lone Peak is dominating region play.
The back-to-back defending state champion has not lost a region game in nearly four years, its last region loss coming in a 1-0 decision against Pleasant Grove in September of 2021, though it still won the region title that year.
The Knights are coming off a 6A championship campaign wherein they went a perfect 20-0, and they seemed to be on a similar trek this season until they were shocked by Layton in a penalty shootout two weeks ago.
“I think when it happened, we weren’t expecting it and it just kind of was a wake up call for us that nothing is ever given and that we need to come out hard every single game,” said Lone Peak senior midfielder Hannah Heimuli.
The wake up call has been answered, as Lone Peak has now shut out three consecutive opponents in region play after a dominant 3-0 win over American Fork on Thursday.
The Knights have outscored Region 3 foes a combined 11-0.
“It keeps them humble and keeps them hungry,” said Lone Peak head coach Shantel Jolley. “You can’t win forever. We had a pretty good winning streak the last couple of years, but at some point you’re you’re not invincible.
“I tell them, ‘A loss is only loss if you don’t learn from it,’ so for us, it’s just a learning opportunity.”
Thursday’s win was dominant from start to finish for the Knights as they controlled possession of the ball for most of the 80 minutes.
American Fork’s back line held off the early Lone Peak attacks and saves from keeper Taybree Hansen kept things equal early, but Heimuli scored on a goal that was just off Hansen’s fingertips in the 12th minute.
While the Knights often kept possession of the ball, they were unable to finish on any more chances for the rest of the first half, though the floodgates opened early in the second half.
It was Heimuli again who helped facilitate a Lone Peak goal in the 54th minute on an assist to freshman Jordan Moeaki.
Moeaki has contributed five assists this year, but Thursday’s goal was the first of her high school career.
The scoring continued from there, in an unusual way. In the 58th minute, Lone Peak’s Sadie Stratton crossed a ball in but it hit an American Fork defender and ricocheted into the goal for the Knights’ third and final goal of the afternoon.
“I think once we were able to get that first goal, we had some momentum and then we definitely came out harder second half,” Heimuli said.
“We just knew what it took with this being a rival game that they required more of us. I think we definitely came out with that mindset and we were able to put two more in second half.”
Thursday’s win advanced Lone Peak to 10-1 overall and 3-0 in Region 3. Corner Canyon is in a fight with Lone Peak to preserve its own in-region unbeaten, streak and the two sides will face off next Tuesday.