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Provo • The first hat trick of Skyridge senior midfielder Matthew Holt's prep career proved to be enough to lift the Falcons past Timpview 4-2 in Region 7 boys' soccer Friday night.
The visitors wasted little time in getting on the board. Four minutes into the match, Holt took advantage of a misplayed ball in the box and booted it into the target.
Thirteen minutes later, junior forward Paiden Mecham dribbled the ball into the left corner and then centered it into the box, where Holt was waiting and once again touched it into the net.
"Our team practices that play every day," Holt said. "I was just in the spot I was supposed to be in to get that pass from Paiden."
Mecham agreed that the play unfolded exactly as scripted.
"That's the way it's supposed to happen. I've made nine assists this season just from that play and I think we've made a goal off that play in every game this year," he said.
The Thunderbirds were far from finished, however. They boosted the pressure on junior goalkeeper Benjamin Williams after that second score and forced him to work especially hard in the final 10 minutes of the period.
Timpview had several dangerous opportunities during that stretch and finally capitalized when sophomore defender Atticus Cutri crossed the ball in to sophomore offensive midfielder Angel Sanchez to cut the deficit in half.
The battle continued with intensity throughout the second half. Despite the final result, Thunderbird sophomore goalie Thomas Miloni played very well throughout the match and made several impressive saves.
The third feather in Holt's hat trick came off a set play in the 51st minute. Junior midfielder Christopher Gower took the corner kick and Holt finished the play with a header inside the near post.
Seven minutes after that, it was Mecham's turn to be in the right place at the right time as he received a give from sophomore forward Bennett Rios and scored to complete his team's tally for the night.
"I saw the keeper shift too far to one side, so I took advantage," Mecham said.
"It feels amazing to get that win," Holt said. "It will give us some momentum going forward. It was a tough battle, but in the end we got it." —
Skyridge 4, Timpview 2
R Skyridge scores early and never looks back as the Falcons top host Timpview.
• Sophomore forward Angel Sanchez and junior midfielder Asher Franks score for the home squad.
• The victory keeps Skyridge undefeated at 11-0-0, 8-0-0 in Region 7. The Thunderbirds are still fighting for a playoff berth at 5-5-0, 4-4-0.