6A girls soccer championship: Answers hide from No. 3 Davis in defeat to unbeaten Lone Peak
Richens leads Darts to state runner-up and 17-4 finish in first season as head coach
-
- Davis High’s Marli Francis (12) runs past Lone Peak’s Ivy Harding (6) during the 6A girls soccer state championship Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman.
-
- Davis High’s Lexi Lund becomes emotional after a 2-0 loss to Lone Peak in the 6A girls soccer state championship Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman.
-
- Davis High’s Samantha Maudsley (6) controls the ball during the 6A girls soccer state championship Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman.
-
- Lone Peak’s Tessa Carter (9) closes in on Davis High’s Cadence Packer (3) during the 6A girls soccer state championship Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman.
-
- The Davis High student section roars during the 6A girls soccer state championship Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman.
-
- Davis High’s Marli Francis (12) and Lexi Lund (1) falls toward a shot taken by Lone Peak’s Brooke Hendricks (13) during the 6A girls soccer state championship Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman.
-
- Davis High’s Lexi Lund (1) secures the ball during the 6A girls soccer state championship Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman.
-
- Davis High’s Cadence Packer (3) controls the ball during the 6A girls soccer state championship Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman.
-
- Davis High’s Simone Packer (2) runs against Lone Peak’s Kate Denney (7) during the 6A girls soccer state championship Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman.
-
- Davis High’s Marli Francis (12) collides with Lone Peak’s Brooke Hendricks (13) during the 6A girls soccer state championship Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman.
-
- Lone Peak’s Ada Villarreal (14) contests Davis High’s Brooklyn Phongsavath (7) for the ball during the 6A girls soccer state championship Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman.
HERRIMAN — A stiff Lone Peak defense, coupled with a Brooke Hendricks goal early in the second half, brought Davis High’s lengthy postseason ride to an end Friday in a 2-0 loss to the unbeaten No. 1 seed at Zions Bank Stadium, giving the Knights the 6A girls soccer state championship.
Making the title game as the No. 3 seed, the Darts (17-4) were challenged by the Knights’ (20-0) front three through all 80 minutes. That pressure broke through six minutes into the second half, then again in the waning seconds of the match to put Davis away.
The first-half scoreboard ended in zeroes but Davis and Lone Peak shared several similar scoring opportunities from midfield and the corner. Darts goalkeeper Lexi Lund recorded four first-half saves to keep the Knights silent.
Arguably the best first-half chances for Davis came with 15 minutes to go, with Kate Willard finding two looks inside the box and a late free kick pressuring the Lone Peak defense toward the break. Lone Peak’s closest look, taken by Kate Fuller, sailed right and shy of the goal with three minutes before halftime.
Lone Peak sniffed out what looked like would be the match’s lone goal on a well-timed pass by Ivy Harding to Hendricks, who beat Davis defender Marli Francis for the close-range score with 34 minutes remaining.
Recalling the goal, Lund commended Harding’s pass for placing her in a tough spot.
“It was a really nice through ball by (Harding),” Lund said. “(Hendricks) is super quick, got a touch and I wasn’t able to get onto with my foot. … It was a very well-placed shot.”
After 40-plus scoreless minutes of soccer, Davis was on the clock.
Region 1 champion Davis won three consecutive matches scoring two or more goals in postseason victories over Weber, Corner Canyon and Mountain Ridge to reach the state’s final stage. Holding Davis silent, Lone Peak goalkeeper Eliza Collings disrupted arguably the Darts’ best second-half chances on a corner kick reeled in by Simone Packer with 11 minutes and a free kick by McKenna Couser with six minutes left.
As the clock slipped away, Lund and the Darts’ defense stood their ground as their season hung in the balance.
“Through the playoffs we’ve realized we really have nothing to lose,” Lund said. “Everyone just wanted to do it for each other. The defense (all) got along really well off the field and those friendships we’ve built have helped us on the field.”
The Knights, flushing out Davis’ late attempts to knot the score at 1-1, managed to steer their way to the Darts’ goal. During the final seconds, Fuller eyed a loose ball off the crossbar and tapped in Lone Peak’s second goal with one second remaining.
When the score signaled a premature celebration for the opponent, Richens prepared his words of encouragment for a team that poured an immense amount of labor into his inaugural season as the Darts’ head coach.
The Davis skipper tipped his cap to the team’s seven seniors.
“They’ve solved a lot of problems and did a lot of good work,” Richens said. “I think they’re going to be hard enough on themselves, so it’s important to show them the love they deserve. … This isn’t an easy thing. We all felt good going into it and we ended up beat by a really good team.”
Connect with prep sports reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net and X @ctbecker.
