High school soccer: Lakers earn revenge on top-ranked Bobcats

WASHINGTON TERRACE — All Bonneville wanted was a strong start.

The Lakers felt blindsided in an earlier loss to Sky View when Bobcats forward Stacy Bair dropped a pair of goals on them as part of her junior season coming out party. In the rematch, the last thing they wanted was for Sky View to come in and pick up where they left off.

"We felt like we were the better team up at Sky View," Bonneville coach Lane Barker said. "We had more shots, more possessions and everything. Stacy Bair was the difference and she deserves her accolades. But we felt like we were the better team and we felt confident that here we could get it done."

The Lakers wasted no time taking control on both ends of the field on Tuesday afternoon. Bonneville took a quick lead on an early goal from Morgan Whitfield and led from wire to wire to hand the no. 1 ranked Bobcats a 2-1 loss — their first of the season.

Whitfield scored in just the second minute, shortly after a throw in, when she cut between two defenders at the top of the six yard ball and blasted the ball over the head Sky View goalkeeper Jessica Duffin.

Once Bonneville (8-1) seized the lead so quickly, the Lakers figured they had the Bobcats (10-1-1) right where they wanted them.

"We knew right away that we were ready," senior forward Jaiden Thornock said. "We were ready to play and Morgan got that awesome goal. Basically, it set our mood for the game."

Tacking on a second goal proved to be a little bit of a chore. Bonneville dominated possession through virtually the entire first half and set up one shot on frame after another. But the Lakers struggled to close the deal.

Thornock finally gave Bonneville some breathing room in the 30th minute. In upper right corner of the area, the senior flicked the ball around a defender and latched onto it again. Then, Thornock rifled it toward the opposite post. The ball clanked off the left post and took a friendly bounce into the back of the net to give the Lakers a 2-0 lead.

Sky View managed to make things interesting in the final minutes. The Bobcats finally got on the scoreboard in the 70th minute when Jessica Brooksby successfully converted a free kick into a goal. Brooksby launched the ball over the two-man wall and hooked it perfectly under the crossbar and past backup Lakers goalkeeper Megan Fillpot.