(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Syracuse's Lauren Burnett (19) and Syracuse's Caroline Stringfellow (35) celebrate Burnett's first half goal during the Class 6A girls' soccer state semifinal between Bingham and Syracuse in Draper, Tuesday October 17, 2017.
Draper • The Syracuse Titans didn’t need to sift through the record books.
When a postgame public address announcement rang out about them advancing to the state championship game, after a 4-1 win over Bingham on Tuesday, the Titans knew that this moment was history.
“First time in school history, it’s incredible,” Syracuse coach Taylor Allen said.
“This is our first season to ever win a playoff game. We’re doing it, man, you know?” added Allen, whose team beat West Jordan and Pleasant Grove to get to the semifinals
Syracuse (17-2) will play for the Class 6A title Friday at Rio Tinto Stadium.
“It felt amazing because, four year ago, people would look at this team and never expect us to be here at this point,” said sophomore forward Ashlyn Hall, who had two goals. “Bingham played well, and it was a tough game. But we came in talking about, ‘We, not me,’ and playing together as a team.”
Team passing led to the first goal in the 18th minute when Hall started the sequence by winning a ball near midfield along the right sideline.
She passed forward to freshman forward Caroline Stringfellow, causing the Miners defense to shift to the side. Stringfellow struck a centering pass intended for Sarah Wynn, but the ball instead went through to undefended Lauren Burnett, who found the net for a 1-0 lead.
SYRACUSE 4, BINGHAM 1 <br>• Syracuse sophomore Ashlyn Hall scores two goals to lead the Titans’ offense. <br>• Syracuse will play for its first girls’ soccer state championship after recording its first playoff win earlier this season. <br>• Bingham’s lone goal comes off a corner kick in the 63rd minute when junior Jill Ellison heads in the pass.
The second goal also came in the first half on a tap-in by Hall after Bingham keeper Danielle Orr attempted to stop a breakaway by Lexi Chenoweth.
“I feel they just capitalized on the opportunities they had,” Bingham coach Tennille Vance said. “We were kind of playing defensive-minded the first half, and we just couldn’t get into the groove of finding the attack.”
Hall got her second goal six minute into the second half when she shot high into the net for a 3-0 advantage.
Bingham got one of its own when Jill Ellison headed in a shot off a corner kick in the 63rd minute.
But Stringfellow sealed it with a goal in the closing minutes.
Stringfellow, Hall and freshman Wynn are all in their infancy when it comes to high school soccer, so the future is bright for Syracuse.
“I’m excited for the coming years, but right now we’re focusing on the next game, and we’re excited for that,” Hall said.