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Murray • Seeded first certainly seemed to afford Murray some major advantages as the Class 4A boys' soccer playoffs began Wednesday.

For one, Murray got to play at home. For another, the Spartans got to face the fourth-best team out of another region.

But that team just happened to be the Orem Tigers, a team with a recent history of succeeding in this situation. Orem knocked off a top seed in the opening round and advanced all the way to the 4A championship game last year.

And so it begins again.

Orem broke a deadlock with two goals in the early stages of the second half and held on for a 3-2 victory over the Spartans.

"Having done this same thing last year, they were very confident," Tigers coach Scott Wells said. "They've done it once, and it's almost become a tradition, getting a fourth seed and then winning in the first round."

The biggest kick of the day belonged to Lucas Astudillo, a senior for Orem (9-9), who knocked in a 45-yard shot two minutes into the second half to go up 2-1.

Even with some wind at Astudillo's back, everyone on the pitch seemed surprised by the distance on the shot, which pushed Spartans keeper Javi Vierya into the back corner in an attempt to stop it.

"That was my favorite goal I've ever scored in my soccer career so far," Astudillo said. "That felt so good. It was amazing. Just to see the ball go flying top left, with everyone cheering and it went in."

Orem's third goal came via a shot by Tanner Gill, which deflected off Vierya to give Kadon Black an open look. Black converted 14 minutes after intermission for the two-goal margin.

"I felt like there were a couple of defenders in front of the keeper, so he couldn't really tell where the ball was going," said Astudillo, who started the sequence with a free kick and pass to Gill. "He had a last-second dive to block it. It was a good save, but I'm glad our forward was right there to pick it up."

Murray (15-2) had a trio of good shots that just missed over the last 20 minutes, and those were made more meaningful when the Spartans scored with 10 minutes to go.

In an odd sequence, Orem keeper Ryan Gomer was ruled to have illegally picked up the ball back after initially setting it on the ground. In the immediate confusion surrounding the call, Murray's Ryan O'Neill got off a quick shot after an indirect kick and sent the ball past Gomer.

But Murray's last gasp was a rebound try by Tony Nickerson that trickled just wide of the Tigers' net in stoppage time.

"Two years ago Orem was in our region and we've played them a couple of times in the playoffs before," Murray coach Bryan Demann said. "They have a great tradition, and they build for this time of year.

"The guys I have here were definitely capable of fighting for a championship. It's disappointing, but it's hard to find fault in 15 wins." —

Orem 3, Murray 2

R Orem pulls off a first-round upset as the fourth-seeded team out of its region for the second consecutive year.

• A goal by senior Lucas Astudillo two minutes after halftime gives the Tigers their first advantage of the game.