High school soccer: Timpanogos nets 2nd title in 3 years

SANDY — Timpanogos' dream season couldn't have ended more perfectly.

Especially for senior Lexie Henrie, who snagged what ended up being the title-clinching strike from 25 yards out just four minutes into the 4A state championship game.

The goal helped them capture the crown with a 1-0 victory over Skyline on Friday on their third straight trip to Rio Tinto Stadium.

Lexie is a special player," Timpanogos coach Natalyn Lewis said. "I've never seen a player that will work like she does to make a difference on the field.

"She made a difference today."

Henrie won possession and sent the perfect shot blazing in from well beyond the box.

"She hit a beautiful shot," Lewis said. "You never know when that one shot that falls is going to be the shot, and tonight it was the one."

Although the field at Rio Tinto Stadium was familiar to many of the Timberwolves, the thrill of a state title was not, as the team fell in last year's championship game to Bonneville High School. This year's end result would be different as the Timberwolves took advantage of the redemption trip.

"We just wanted the state championship so bad that we took it," Henrie said. "It feels so good, especially because I'm a senior."

"It's our third year back," teammate and captain Jamie Harward said. "We knew what it was going to be like, and we were mentally prepared for it."

Harward and Henrie provided veteran leadership throughout the season, as they were the only two seniors on the young Timpanogos team.

"It feels great to be able to lead them out here and help them feel what a state championship feels like," Harward said.

The Timberwolves' execution was perfect as they got on the board early enough to calm their nerves and injure the opposing Eagles' mental game.

"We set a goal at the beginning to score in the first 10 (minutes) and that's what we did," Harward said. "It helped us to settle the field down."

Although the lead was narrow and came early, it would hold for the full 80-minutes, as Skyline was unable to convert. The Timberwolves' defense was unyielding and Sydney Oldroyd came up with some big saves in the net.

They found their rhythm and connected on their passes as each girl contributed in the championship victory — something the Timpanogos did all season with an offense that had five girls scoring more than seven goals this season, a stalwart backline, and a strong midfield.

"We were finding possession and feeding (the forwards) the whole game," Harward said. "We weren't nervous. We just took in our surroundings and played our game."

Timpanogos sat at No. 1 in the state for much of the season and finished with an impressive 17-1-2 record.

email: jwilde@desnews.com