High school girls soccer: Ogden and Manti win 3A semifinal matches to advance to state championship

The Ogden Tigers picked up a 7-1 victory over Grantsville on Thursday afternoon in the 3A girls soccer semifinals behind five different goal scorers in a dominant showing.

The scoring opened in the eighth minute when Bryleigh Thomas buried a precise shot into the lower-left corner, capitalizing on a scramble inside the six-yard box.

“We have been stressing setting the tone, making sure we are in control,” said Tigers coach Alexis King. “We have had a focus on attacking right when the whistle blows. Just having the energy right off the bat and knowing what we bring to the table is important.”

The Tigers continued their offensive dominance, striking three times in a four-minute span. Elle Weston started the surge with a quick counterattack, followed by two sharp connections from Megan Bues to Gwenith Aadema.

“Bues did a really good job being selfless today,” King said. “She is usually the one that scores a lot. No goals for her today, but I think her selfness and setting up other girls on the team was big for us and said a lot.”

Grantsville pulled one back in the final seconds of the first half when Kamry Allen buried a rebound following an impressive save from Fife, but Ogden responded with three more goals after intermission, as Weston completed her brace before freshmen Paisley Pierce and Madison Beus each found the back of the net.

“Coming in, we just had to trust the work we’ve put in, trust each other and play the strong passing game we’re known for,” said Megan Bues.

“We fight for every ball, knowing any chance can turn into a goal. It was fun to see my sister score, I love watching her get out there and play.”

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In the second semifinal, Manti pulled off a 3-2 comeback overtime upset against Carbon.

The first half was a physical battle, with both teams creating multiple chances in the box but not converting.

Early in the second half, Carbon earned a free kick from well outside the box. The ball stayed high, and the Templars’ goalie reached up to catch it. As she came down, the ball slipped through her hands and landed right in front of Kenzie Morgan, who quickly slid to get the ball moving toward the net.

The ball rolled across the goal line, giving Carbon the lead.

Manti pressed for an equalizer, but Carbon doubled its advantage in the 67th minute. Blythe Bradford unleashed a rocket toward goal, and an elite save from Manti kept it from crossing the line — only for the ball to bounce off a defender and back to Bradford.

She calmly redirected it to the far post, leaving the goalie with no chance.

With its season hanging in the balance, Manti struck in the 69th minute as Madelyn Bridges netted her 21st goal of the year.

“We had to score, we just had to do it. When I saw the ball rolling, I just let it fly and was hoping it was on frame,” Bridges said.

The Templars kept up the offensive pressure, spending the final 10 minutes pressing the Dinos’ defense. Multiple shots and crosses failed to find the mark, but as the sun set behind the mountains, Taylie Mickelsen capped a beautiful team effort, sending the game into overtime.

“Soccer is like that, anything can happen,” Mickelsen said. “When we scored that second goal, we realized we had to keep going, we had to reset mentally.”

Both teams pressed offensively in the extra period, creating chances, but the decisive moment came from McKinzee Chidester.

Chasing down a ball just a few feet from a goal kick, she turned and fired it at the goalie. The ball deflected off the keeper and into the net, securing the semifinal victory for her team.

“I forgot that it was turf. The ball was moving so fast I didn’t think I would be able to catch it, but I realized I might be able to get there, hit it with my inside foot and maybe it would go in,” Chidester said about her golden goal.

“At first I was worried I was offsides, but then I saw all the supporters and teammates running towards me.”

The Templars battled Carbon for 248 minutes this season, ultimately finding a way to close out the most important matchup with a comeback victory.

“For 248 minutes, we never led. It just shows how much these girls believe in each other,” said coach Nate Bridges.

“It was a great metaphor to see the sun set. Carbon had all the momentum, and I reminded them what they told me at halftime, that they would do it, that they would give me everything they had.”

Ogden and Manti will face off on Saturday at America First Field in the 3A championship game. Ogden previously defeated the Templars on August 8, 5-0.