Gehring hat trick sparks Wasps in win

HEBER CITY — If Tara Gehring had her wish, she probably wouldn't mind having Wasatch play all its soccer games against Uintah. Something about the Utes seems to bring out the best in the senior forward every time she competes against them.

Gehring looked sharp, scoring three first-half goals to lead the Wasps to a 5-0 quarterfinal victory in the 3A girl's soccer tournament on Saturday afternoon. The senior collected her second hat trick against Uintah this season and has totaled eight goals in three games against the Utes.

Gehring wasted little time converting early scoring opportunities. Kaylee Collins fed the ball to her right in front of the net in the 5th minute and she punched it in for a 1-0 lead. Then, a minute later, Gehring threaded the needle through a couple of defenders for a 2-0 advantage.

"I was surprised we scored that quick, but I knew we could," Gehring said. "We always seem to play really good against them."

In both previous meetings this season, Wasatch buried Uintah with an avalanche of goals and left the Utes with no means of digging themselves out.

Things were no different this time around. It wasn't simply a matter of Uintah hunkering down on defense and hoping the Wasps would run out of steam. Simply getting past midfield against the top scoring defense in 3A proved an impossible chore for the Utes.

Wasatch could feel confident about keeping a lead because the Wasps aren't known for giving up cheap and easy goals.

"We have a really fast defense," Gehring said. "If they do get beat, they usually get back and get in front of any balls that are going to be hit or crossed. We try to get to the ball first."

Scoring opportunities were not in rare supply for Wasatch, however, and the Wasps made the most of them. Aubri Salazar headed in a corner kick from Amanda McIntyre to make it 3-0 in the 15th minute.

Gehring added her final goal in the 38th minute for a 4-0 margin. Tess Murray appeared to have a save in hand on Gehring's shot until the Ute senior lost her grip on the ball in the net.

Wasatch is now in the midst of its third five-game winning streak this fall. Wasps coach Dawain Wheatley said winning a region title and hosting two playoff games should carry some weight into next week's semifinals.

"Region 10 is just tough soccer," Wheatley said. "You're playing, game in and game out, with good competition. It just helps."

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