High school soccer: Alta shuts down Viewmont to get back to finals

WOODS CROSS — Viewmont's lofty unbeaten record and 61 goals didn't intimidate Alta one bit Tuesday evening.

The Region 4 champs just went out and methodically played "Alta ball," taking it to the No. 1 team in the state for an impressive 2-0 victory in the 5A semifinals at Woods Cross High School.

The Hawks scored in the 21st minute and then again in the 79th minute to advance to Thursday's 5A championship game just down the road from Alta High School at Rio Tinto Stadium.

"It's what we work for all year, right?" said Alta coach Lee Mitchell about the thrill of advancing to the 5A title game for the first time since 2006.

The Hawks beat Brighton in that 2006 final, and the rivals will meet again on the last day of the season this year.

"We know it's usually the two best teams in the state. We always want that matchup," said Alta midfielder Derek Boggs.

First the Hawks had to get through Viewmont, though, which hadn't been shutout all year — and scored less than two goals just twice. Realistically, it hadn't faced a defense quite like Alta.

Viewmont isn't used to playing from behind either.

That's the situation the Vikings found themselves in just 21 minutes into the match when Alta's Cory Arthur turned a defender at the top of the box and drilled a shot through traffic off the finger tips of Viewmont's keeper for the 1-0 lead.

"They seemed rattled, but it kind of woke them up, too, 'cause they started coming back at us," said Boggs.

The positive response eventually wore off as Alta's defense, anchored by center backs Riley Fehr and Connor Sheffield, cleaned things up time after time with relative ease.

"It just starts from our back with (keeper) Chris Lowrimore, he just organizes everything," said Boggs. "We've got a lot of experienced players who've played at high levels, and we know what to do when we're up 1-0."

Alta won five 1-0 games throughout the season, including a 1-0 triumph over Fremont in the first round of the 5A playoffs.

When Alta's defense did make a rare mistake and conceded a dangerous free kick just outside the box in the 57th minute, the Vikings sprayed it well high.

The frustration of the physical match eventually took its toll on Viewmont as Justin Allen, Dillon Richins and Bryan Nance were all shown soft red cards in the final seven minutes for dissent.

Alta eventually capitalized on all the frustration in the 78th minute as Spencer Richards knocked in a rebounded penalty kick by Andrew Hawks, who was denied very well by Viewmont keeper Hayden Blackburn.

Email: jedward@desnews.com