SANDY — In the scorching heat of the September sun, it was Alta that walked away with a 1-0 victory Thursday afternoon.
Temperatures were in the 90s for a majority of the match, with a warm wind calmly blowing to exhaust the players and those in attendance.
“This is what fall soccer brings. You get those 80 and 90 degree temperatures, and when you get a day like this it makes it harder,” said Alta head coach Lee Mitchell.
Brighton, playing host Thursday, provided the first attempt of the afternoon.
Rachel Powley used her body to get around the Alta defender at the top of the box, collecting the ball and putting a shot on the far post that rolled just wide in the sixth minute.
It would be nearly 20 minutes before either team would create some action in the attacking third of the pitch.
Sadie Mertlich, looking for her 14th goal of the season for Alta, saw her first attempt roll away and out for a goal kick after a dangerous ball into the area by
Caroline Corbett bounced around and failed to be cleared by the Bengals.
“One of the most difficult things to do is to get a win here at Brighton,” said Mitchell. “You don’t need to say much about this matchup. Alta/Brighton is a different level, and we look forward to this game all year long.”
In the 26th minute, it was Powley again for Brighton.
This time around, it was Alta goalkeeper
Isabel Joneswith a diving effort to deflect a beautiful shot at the far post. Just moments later, it was the ‘keeper Jones again with a diving save to prevent a Brighton shot on frame from distance by McKell Kellogg.
“There’s no question that she was the player of the game,” Paskins said about her keeper between the posts. “They kept shooting at her, and she stayed solid and did awesome.”
On the counter for the Hawks, Mertlich took the ball into the box, only to have her shot on goal deflected away by a sliding Brighton ‘keeper
Megan Turner. The Bengals were then able to clear the ball rolling dangerously near the top of the box.
The second half had Brighton controlling the ball and the pace of the game, but it resulted in a letdown.
Sydney Seamons put the first shot on goal for Brighton in the second half, but Hawks’ keeper Jones easily collected it. Two minutes later, in the 48th minute,
Angie Timm skill checked around the Alta defender into the box, but the Hawks’ keeper Jones thwarted her bending left-footed shot.
The visitors then had the whistle blow in their favor.
After the referee awarded the penalty kick, it was
Whitney Paskins who stepped up for Alta to bury the penalty for her sixth goal of the season. A diving Megan Turner guessed the right way, but the ball rolled right underneath the Bengals keeper.
“It was definitely a team effort, I just happened to take the shot,” said Paskins. “We always look forward to the Brighton games because they’re our rival. They’re the defending state champs, but we have some depth and knew we had a chance. We don’t overlook other teams, and we don’t overlook our abilities either.”
Brighton would have an attempt to equalize moments later on a dangerous free kick outside the box, but the shot deflected into the side netting.
“For now, it was the most important game all year that we just played, but we play Jordan on Saturday and now that’s the most important game," said Mitchell. "This is just one game, and that’s all it means.”
