Vikings take control of region

OREM — The Region 7 soccer picture just got a little bit clearer.

Pleasant Grove's 4-0 win over mistake-prone Timpanogos on Tuesday put the Vikings in the thick of the race for first place. Timpanogos was knocked into an early hole and will have to fight hard to get back in the hunt.

"Every game is important," Pleasant Grove coach Erik Bayles said. "You can't relax for one game. This was a game we had to win to control our state destiny."

Pleasant Grove now stands at 2-1 in region play, tied for second place with Mountain View, and just one game behind undefeated Lone Peak. Timpanogos has fallen to 1-2, a single game out of last place.

The game was played under mostly overcast skies and on a muddy field. Players from both teams had trouble with footing and ball control, but the Vikings never seemed phased, taking a quick lead.

In the game's first minute, Pleasant Grove put together a quick attack and Brett Waters drove an open shot into the right side of the net from 15-yards out for a 1-0 lead.

Both teams struggled to find scoring opportunities, but the momentum-shifting goal came in the 29th minute when the Vikings' Ty Gibb hit a line drive corner kick close to the net that ricocheted off a Timpanogos defender and in to make the score 2-0.

"The early goal doesn't usually bother us," T-Wolves coach Steve Bowler said. "These guys are usually a second-half team anyway. It was the own goal that kind of put them down."

Timpanogos' miscues and the Pleasant Grove defense then became the story of the game. The T-Wolves managed only a handful of good shots, missing a lot of opportunities and having a hard time getting past the Viking defenders.

"We did a good job shutting them down," Bayles said. "Our defense is playing well right now. The last three games the only goals they've given up have been penalty kicks."

In the 64th minute Bruno Ferreira recovered a defensive tip and fired the ball in from 20-yards out to make the score 3-0. The final goal came in the 73rd minute when Jay Helquist broke away from the defense and had a clear one-on-one shot that he easily tapped behind the goalkeeper.

"I was worried about the field. It was really wet with all the rain we've had," Bayles said. "But we came out and played well."

The Vikings face Mountain View on Thursday in a battle for second place.