High school soccer playoffs: Skyline shows heart of a champion, beats Bonneville

DRAPER — Facing a Bonneville team that had advanced to three straight 4A girls soccer championship games, Skyline knew beating the Lakers in Tuesday's semifinal was going to be no easy task.

"You don't underestimate the heart of a champion," said Skyline coach Yamil Castillo.

Skyline was the team that played like a champion on Tuesday afternoon. On the heels of its shootout victory over Bountiful in the quarterfinals last week, the Eagles backed it up with an impressive 2-1 victory over Bonneville, last year's 4A state champion, at Juan Diego High School.

In their first year in 4A, the Eagles are one victory away from their first girls soccer state championship since 2001.

"It has been so long since Skyline has been there. I'm really excited. We've been talking about it. We've been so confident. I know we're meant to be there and I know we can win," said Skyline's Rachel Wright.

It was Wright's goal in the 25th minute that really allowed Skyline to settle in and start playing relaxed. It was a set piece goal that probably should've never happened.

As Wright lined up her 20-yard free kick near the top of the box, her eyes lit up when she saw where Bonneville's defensive wall was positioned. It was set up about five to six feet too far to the left. Wright kept waiting for them to shift over, but they never did. So she calmly stepped up and hammered the ball inside the far post, a shot the keeper never saw.

"I was surprised they left a huge block open for me for the far post … They left like five or six feet," said Wright.

Midway through the second half, Skyline doubled its advantage as Natalie Williams uncorked a 25-yard shot that dipped over Bonneville's keeper and just inside the post.

Bonneville continued to battle despite the deficit, and pulled a goal back in the 76th minute as Madeline Jensen pounced a rebounded save from Skyline's keeper and tapped it into the open net.

Skyline didn't panic after its lead was trimmed to 2-1 as it maintained possession for the majority of the final four minutes to finish the game off.

With the victory, Skyline advances to Friday's 4A state championship game at Rio Tinto Stadium to face Timapnogos.

"I've never been on the field. I'm a season ticket holder for Real, and I've always pictured what it would be like to walk out on the field. It's a dream come true. It would be a complete dream if the girls can go and win the whole thing," said Castillo.

EMAIL: jedward@desnews.com