High school soccer: Long goal gives Timpanogos a win

DRAPER — Free kicks are a staple in Marissa Nimmer's soccer diet. The Timpanogos senior has taken them so often this season that whenever she gets a chance to line up for one, there is no question in her mind what she is going to do with it.

Presented with a good scoring angle on a free kick from the right flank in the 36th minute, Nimmer did not hesitate to go for the big play.

"I was trying to score," Nimmer said. "When I'm out that far, I know I can hit it. So I shoot it."

Her aim proved true for the Timberwolves. Nimmer scored the game's lone goal to lift Timpanogos to a 1-0 semifinal victory over Snow Canyon in the 4A girls soccer tournament on Tuesday afternoon.

Nimmer's goal eased some frustration for a Timpanogos offense that produced tons more shots than the Warriors, but could not find a way to convert those chances into goals. That's one reason why the senior looked to put it in the net from distance rather than dishing the ball off to develop a play in closer.

Her decision paid off when Nimmer executed the free kick perfectly. She sent the ball over the three-man defensive wall and hooked it under the crossbar — well out of the grasp of Snow Canyon goalkeeper Meaghan Clark.

T-Wolves coach Natalyn Lewis credited the Warriors with doing a good job of disrupting things defensively. But Lewis also felt that the low score had as much to do with her team's struggles to finish off scoring plays.

"I thought we had a lot of really good looks at the goal," Lewis said. "We were penetrating and getting inside. Unfortunately, every shot we took went right to the breadbasket, which was not our usual style on offense. But, you know, we got the one we needed, and that was enough for today."

It turned out to be enough for the T-Wolves (18-1), in part because freshman goalkeeper Sydney Oldroyd made a fantastic save in the game's waning minutes.

Snow Canyon (15-4) got into excellent scoring position in the 79th minute when Arianna Weide dropped a nice cross from the left flank to Callie Stewart inside the 6-yard box. Stewart tried to slot the ball inside the left post, but could not get it past the freshman.

Lewis, who nicknamed Oldroyd "spider-monkey" because of her quick reflexes and thin frame, was not surprised to see her young keeper come through with such a big play at such a crucial time.

"She never plays like a freshman," Lewis said. "Some players can look at that situation and say 'Oh I'm only a freshman and I'm in this huge game' and let that get to them.

"But I think because of her personality, it just doesn't seem to faze her as much as it might somebody else."

The defending 4A champions return to Rio Tinto Stadium Friday at 7 p.m. to tangle with Bonneville for a state title, the second consecutive year that these two teams will meet in the championship.

It will be a new experience for many players on the T-Wolves' roster, in part because so many seniors graduated.

"Over half of our team is brand new," Lewis said. "So I don't know that most of them think of it as repeating and doing it again. They're doing for it the first time."

e-mail: jcoon@desnews.com