High school girls soccer: Manti advances to the 2A semifinals

MANTI — The Manti Templars started strong and controlled the tempo most of the game for a 5-1 win over Parowan.

It was exactly what Manti coach Eleshia Steinfeldt was looking for.

"They're a tough team," she said of the Parowan Rams. "We'll need to play as a team and fight for 80 minutes."

Ali Rosquist was first to score when she got deep in the box and found the left corner of the goal about ten minutes into the game. Kelcie George scored next midway through the first half to give Manti a 2-0 lead at the intermission.

Parowan took the field after the break with a renewed enthusiasm and kept token pressure on the Templars for the first 20 minutes of the second half, but solid defensive play by Lauren Larsen, Shaylie Prigmore, Kris Cluff, Alia Cook and Christina Fullmer kept most of the pressure off Templar goalkeeper Heidi Richardson.

Midway through the second half Manti got back into their game and used good passing to set up a goal by Cozette Gordillo. A penalty kick by Mikael Thatcher got the Rams on the board, but Manti added a pair of exclamation points in the closing minutes with goals by Rosquist and Gordillo to clinch the win.

The Templars will now move on to the semifinals to play St. Joseph, which shut out Richfield 7-0. The semifinal game will be at Jordan High School starting at 1:15 p.m.