Almost nobody expected this. Not even Uintah could have predicted it. The Utes didn't imagine they would be the dark horse of the Class 3A boys' soccer tournament, beating the heavily favored Logan Grizzlies in the first round and then beating Hurricane - a team that beat them in the preseason earlier this year - to advance to the semifinals today at Timpview.
    Yet, here they are, playing against region foe Park City, battling for a spot in the state championship game.
    "We didn't know much about Logan," Uintah coach Jared McKeachnie said. "We just went out there and thought, 'We have nothing to lose. Let's just work hard and, if it's our last game, let's leave it all on the field.' "
    The Utes also had that approach heading into their game against Hurricane and they'll have it again when they face Park City.
    "We're just a bunch of hicks from the sticks. We are three hours away from indoor and winter league soccer," McKeachnie said. "So the quality teams in Region 10, that's all we have to base anything off of."
    Region 10 has certainly showed its strength as a region. Three of the four teams in the semifinals are from Region 10, and Morgan - the fourth team - was in Region 10 last year.
    McKeachnie hasn't decided whether it's better for his team to know a lot about its opponent - like Park City - or nothing at all - like Logan.
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    "I haven't given it much thought, but I'm excited that it's Park City," McKeachnie said. "We know they are a very skilled team and they have experience being at that type of game. [But], I say to myself all the time, if there's a team that deserves to win it, it's this [year's] team. All that hard work is paying off."
    Despite Uintah getting the No. 4 seed out of the region, Park City coach Caro Caro knows just how tough the Utes can be. The Miners and Uintah split in the regular season.
    "When we first played them, we were not ready as a team," Caro said. "They are a very difficult team because they are aggressive, but if we play our finesse touch, I don't think they will surprise us."
    Park City may have the edge in the tactical and technical aspect of the sport, but Uintah is a stubborn team that refuses to give up, and it will take advantage of its chances.
    "Playing against Uintah for the first time is always difficult," Caro said. "I saw them play twice and I'm pretty sure the teams that played them [before] weren't as prepared as we will be."
    mthach@sltrib.com