High school soccer: Tigers hustle their way to 2-1 win over Knights

HIGHLAND — Orem head coach Ed Louder insists the Tigers' 2-1 win over Lone Peak didn't make any statement. His only concern is being successful against any team they line up against.

And while Louder doesn't care much about the 4A (his Orem team) vs. 5A (Lone Peak) rivalry factor, he did use the early season victory as a measuring stick.

"You have to compete with whomever you take the field against," Louder said. "It was good to see what we can do."

From the outset, the Tigers proved to be the more aggressive team, clearly dictating the pace, and as a result, they put Lone Peak back on its heels.

Orem's crisp, accurate passing, combined with its ability to outhustle the home team, enabled the Tigers to win almost every ball and created several chances around the net.

The Tigers' efforts paid off near the end of the first half when forward Marissa Pay connected on a shot from a difficult angle on the left side.

In the second half, Lone Peak came out with newfound energy, creating more opportunities for itself.

But Orem increased its lead when Maggie Plothow maneuvered through Lone Peak's defense and stuck the ball into the top left corner of the net for her fifth goal of the season.

With time running out and Lone Peak still applying pressure, Katie Lohner took advantage when Orem failed to clear the ball and cut the Tigers' lead in half.

Now re-energized, the Knights began pushing as hard as they had all game, but ultimately ran out of time.

"We were able to control the tempo of the game, and we kept them on their heels in the first half," Louder said. "But we knew they were going to come at us hard, and we were able to withstand most of what they did..

With the loss, Lone Peak's record dropped to 2-1, while the Tigers' win kept them unblemished at 3-0. Orem has now outscored its opponents 14-1.