Lehi Froggies' 1-0 Win Over Park City in Girls' Soccer

Timp Sport Weekly

August 27, 2014

Publisher's Message

For this week's issue, we look at Lehi girls' soccer action. AKA the Froggies, the Pioneers played a riveting -- correction, ribbiting game against the Park City Miners, AKA the Snow Bunnies, at Lehi Aug. 22. Let's take a look at that game to see why it gave the Froggies something to croak about. Let's also look at an alumni girls' soccer game played at Lehi the next night.

Dean Von Memmott

Publisher

magnanovelist@gamil.com

Penalty Kick Lifts Lehi Froggies to 1-0 Win Over Park City Snow Bunnies Aug. 22

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

When the Lehi Pioneers, AKA the Froggies, hosted the Park City Miners, AKA the Snow Bunnies, in a preseason girls' soccer game Aug. 22, it was expected to be riveting -- correction, ribbiting. After both schools had had longtime traditions for having high quality girls' soccer programs.

Guided by Paula Garcia and Lindsey Gordon, a "distant cousin" of late TV actor Gale Gordon, the Snow Bunnies put much pressure on the Froggies' defense. Lehi Coach Brett Bergholm said, "We had great defensive efforts from goalie Kirsten Josie, Beth Beeston, and Kenya Johnson."

In the second half, for example, Josie blocked a direct shot kicked by Snow Bunny Ellie "Mae Clampett" Meyer.

Meanwhile, Ali "Baba" Merrill and Felicia Turner repeatedly came up with steals that denied the Snow Bunnies great chances for shot selection. The Snow Bunnies took only one shot during the whole game. Lehi, on the other hand, fired six shots on goal during the night.

Playing in heavy rain, the Froggies prayed that they could post a 1-0 lead before lightning could end the game early. A lightning stormed had canceled the second half of the jayvee game earlier in the night.

Midway through the second half, the Snow Bunnies drew a foul in their penalty box. Froggie Jaden Stickland received the assignment of for making the penalty kick. She booted the ball past goalie Hannah "Wyoming" Hyatt. The game then returned to being a defensive ball as Gordon kept throwing the Froggies back on defense. However, Park City could not undo the damage down by Strickland's goal. 

Bergholm said, "We could've scored a couple of more goals, because we had kept the ball on Park City's side of the field most of the second half. This is the most deep team I've coached in years. Anyone of my players are qualified to play first string. I can only pick 11 of them to start, though." 

Purples Beat Reds in Lehi Girls' Alumni Soccer Game Aug. 23
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

In the first-ever Lehi alumni girls' soccer game, played on the Lehi Froggies' home football field, Aug. 23, the Purples defeated the Reds 2-1 in a shootout.

The game featured players who played for Lehi Coach Brett Bergholm through the past 20 years. Some of them included Paige Ituma, Carly Spiers, Shayla Holmstead, and Kenzie Weeks. Two young men, who had played soccer for the Froggies' boys' team, served as goalies: Riley Anderson and Derek Peterson.

Wearing red and purple pennies, the two teams of former Froggies played so well in the first half that neither squad scored.

In the second half, Purple Katie Clark scored the game's first goal. The Purples enjoyed their 1-0 lead until 1:52 when McKell Carlton kicked in a tying goal for the Reds.

A shootout followed regulation play. Purple Nicole Russsell scored the winning goal in the shootout.

The alumni game was a fund raiser for the Lehi girls' soccer program.