A strong first half and dominant second half helped No. 3 Salem Hill defeat No. 22 Woods Cross 4-1 in the quarterfinals of the 5A state tournament.
For most of the first half, both teams created many chances but were unable to put the ball in the back of the net.
“Woods Cross came up with a good game plan. It was a tough start for them. In the end, our boys started how to open things up and we were able to get some good results, so I’m very proud of the boys,” Salem Hills head coach Jerry Johnson said.
The intensity increased in the final 10 minutes of the first half as the chances continued.
Salem Hills thought it was the first to get on the scoreboard when Brooks Barker took a shot from a near-impossible angle and the ball sailed just past the Woods-Cross keeper and into the net. . Unfortunately, Barker was called offside.
Shaken by the decision, Barker wasted no time and after just 30 seconds he slipped behind the defense and was one-on-one with the keeper, driving the ball into the goal for a 1-0 lead.
The lead didn't last long, as just a minute later Salem Hills committed a foul inside the penalty area, resulting in a Woods Cross penalty.
Zach DeSpain converted a shot from Woods Cross and converted a penalty to tie the game at 1 point.
Salem Hills regained the lead in the 38th minute. Ben Staheli picked up a loose ball in front of the goal and passed it back to Jackson Williams, who scored with his left foot and into the side netting.
Salem Hills' second goal gave them momentum heading into the halftime break, and that momentum only accelerated as the game progressed.
“It was really a matter of figuring out where our chances were with their low block. Once that opened up for us, I think the players got a little taste of what they could produce and in the second half We definitely picked it up and made some good adjustments on our players' part,” Johnson added.
The second half was all Salem Hills. After dishing out an assist in the first half, Staheli doubled Salem Hills' lead with a goal of his own off a rebound from a Woods Cross keeper early in the second half.
Hungry for another point, Barker scored his second goal of the night a few minutes later, sprinting down the right wing with the ball, evading a Woods Cross defender and firing the ball past the goalkeeper. He flew the ball and brought the game closer to the goal.
With the win, Salem Hills will face Roy in the 5A semifinals on Monday at Zions Bank Stadium.