Girls soccer: Clearfield wraps up regular season with road win at Bonneville
-
- Clearfield’s Abby Hoffman (2) Clearfield High and Bonneville’s Miley Falk (31) chase the ball during a match Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Washington Terrace.
-
- Bonneville’s Stacey Tesch, right, fouls Clearfield’s Tatum Thomas inside the box, resulting in a penalty kick which equalized the scoreboard 1-1 during a match Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Washington Terrace.
-
- Bonneville’s Kambry Dalton gets a goal past Clearfield’s Sadie Goble during a match Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Washington Terrace.
-
- Bonneville’s Kierra Campbell (9) battles for control of the ball against Clearfield’s Tatum Thomas (10) during a match Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Washington Terrace.
-
- Clearfield’s Claire Hadley, left, fouls Bonneville’s Moza Bikyeombe (11) as the two collide during a match Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Washington Terrace.
-
- Bonneville’s goalkeeper Lily Atkinson reaches in vain to block a penalty kick made by Clearfield High during a match Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Washington Terrace.
-
- Bonneville’s Kambry Dalton, center, celebrates scoring a goal as she runs past Clearfield’s Raegan Cornell (15) during a match Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Washington Terrace.
-
- Bonneville’s Miley Falk (31) and Clearfield’s Carlie Hobbs battle for control of the ball during a match Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Washington Terrace.
-
- An incoming corner kick bounces past Bonneville goalkeeper Lily Atkinson, lower left, and bypasses Bonneville and Clearfield players past the goal during a match Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Washington Terrace.
-
- Bonneville’s Brynlee Needham (35) and Clearfield’s Reagan Cornell (15) attempt a play on a high ball during a match Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Washington Terrace.
-
- From left, Bonneville’s Marley Chournos and Clearfield’s Abby Hoffman battle for control of the ball during a match Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Washington Terrace.
-
- Bonneville’s Hallie Nelson (3) battles Clearfield’s Raegan Cornell (15) for control of the ball during a match Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Washington Terrace.
WASHINGTON TERRACE — Clearfield and Bonneville have both been in the middle of the pack this girls soccer season.
But with the wrap-up of Region 5 and regular-season play Thursday, the teams can refocus their efforts as they prepare for the 5A state tournament starting next week, seeded by RPI.
Junior forward Tatum Thomas scored a goal late in the second half for Clearfield and the Falcons nipped Bonneville 2-1 in the finale.
Kamryn Weaver placed a perfect corner kick to the front of the net in the 74th minute for the Falcons, and the ball ricocheted around before Thomas put it home with her knee.
“I knew we needed one more and when I found it on the back side, I knew it was going in the net,” Thomas said. “It bounced over the keeper and I followed it in.”
The Falcons (10-7, 9-5 Region 5) then withstood a fierce Bonneville (9-7, 7-7) counterattack and held on for the win.
“Bonneville was coming even harder because they’re down. We were trying to get it out of our back and trying to keep it up on our side, away from them so they didn’t have opportunities,” Thomas said.
Defense dominated the first half, with few shots on goal, as Clearfield keeper Sadie Goble and Bonneville’s Lily Atkinson only had to deal with an occasional long free kick or dribbler.
“I thought our team stepped it up. We were working together, communicating,” Thomas said. “We needed to work on finishing up top, taking more shots. I felt like that’s what we did more in the second half.”
It was the Lakers, though, that got on the board first when sophomore Kambry Dalton beat Goble one-on-one less than five minutes into the second half.
“We weren’t ready to come out in the second half; once they scored we turned it right back,” Thomas said.
Swiftly, it turns out, as Clearfield tied it 1-1 on a penalty kick by Weaver just 32 seconds later.
“It was really important,” Thomas said. “When they scored in the first five minutes of the half is when you need to settle down. We equalized it.”
Clearfield beat Bonneville in penalty kicks last month, so the victory completed a sweep of the season series.
“I’m glad it didn’t go to PK today; just finished it in regular play,” Thomas added.
Clearfield coach Kelly Parke counseled his team after they finished third in Region 5 with the tournament looming.
“Let’s start our season this next week. Playoffs are all that matters. I always told you guys I don’t care about region. This is it,” Parke said. “Show heart and compete. Let’s show up with some fire. Show up with heart and desire, no matter who we play.”
Thomas took Parke’s talk to heart, so to speak, with the state brackets scheduled for reveal Saturday.
“Looking forward to each game, taking it one game at a time. Having won our last region game helps us going into our playoff games,” Thomas said. “See who we play next week and go from there.”
