Orem uses breaks to down Devils

SPRINGVILLE — It took an own goal and some fortuitous bounces of the ball, but the Orem girls soccer team remained undefeated and got a big 2-1 win over Springville on Thursday.

On the same field where the Tigers last dropped a regular season game a year ago, Orem battled back from an early deficit and beat the team considered its biggest challenger for the region championship.

After giving up an early goal, Kaci McNiel equalized with her second goal of the season and Jaimie Lyons made the play that created the game-winning own goal.

"We knew we had to come out and really play hard today," said Orem coach Ed Louder. "We did the things we needed to do to win. We played our game well, and then it was kind of helter skelter for everybody there at the end."

Orem's defense turned in a typically strong performance and would have gotten a shutout but also gave up an own goal early in the first half.

The game's first score came in the seventh minute after a cross by Springville's Rachel Fischer. The cross was deflected at an awkward angle by Hailey Francis and ended up bouncing off an Orem defender and into the net.

Rain started falling late in the first half and contributed to Orem's equalizer. In the 31st minute Kaitlyn Thomas sent in a long shot, and the wet ball slipped through the goalkeeper Sadie Clemen's hands. Clemens recovered and knocked the loose ball off her line, but McNiel was in position to run onto the ball and into the open net.

The winning play came in the 51st minute when Lyons sprung free down the right side of the field on a counterattack and had her cross deflected into the net as a defender tried to clear the ball away.

"I was crossing it, and it just deflected off a girl," said Lyons. "We've never beaten Springville on their home field. We came in strong and fought through the game and played hard to the end."

For Springville it was a frustrating way to lose the game, and the result has the Red Devils anxious for the teams' rematch in the coming weeks.

"We're excited to play them again," said Springville coach Ryan Swanson. "We can play with them. We're confident. There were just a few bad bounces, and that was the difference in the game I think."

Orem is now 9-0 on the season and has won 16 straight regular season games dating back to last September.

In other games Thursday:

REGION 7