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Sky View blanks Bonneville for program's first state championship

(Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune) Sky View players celebrate wit the 4A trophy after Sky View defeated Bonneville 2-0 to win the 4A title game, Saturday, October 21, 2017.

Sandy • The Sky View Bobcats offense has been rolling over the past month, scoring at least three goals in every game.

That streak ended Saturday, but so did one much more meaningful.

Sky View won its first girls’ soccer state championship by defeating Bonneville 2-0 at Rio Tinto Stadium.

In fact, the Class 4A finale was a 1-0 affair for more than 40 minutes until junior Sidney Barlow netted an insurance goal with two minutes remaining.

“It feels so good. We deserve it this year to take it all,” Barlow said. “From the beginning, we were beating teams by like four goals, so I knew we had a good chance this year.”

Sky View (16-2-2) broke through in the 35th minute.

When a Bobcats long shot from midfield was too tough for Lakers keeper Ashley Croyle to handle, the ball deflected off her and bounced near the goal. The last carom gave Sky View senior Samantha Tippetts a clean look from the right, and she converted for a 1-0 lead.

Tippetts was standing only a couple of feet from the goal line when her opportunity came.

“The ball was bouncing around and everyone was kicking at it and it popped out from everyone,” Tippetts said. “I just hit it into the back post.

“It is so amazing. It is the greatest feeling ever.”

SKY VIEW 2, BONNEVILLE 0 <br>• Sky View captures its first championship in girls’ soccer by winning its 15th consecutive game. <br>• Samantha Tippets scoredsthe first goal in the 35th minute, while Bobcats teammate Sidney Barlow adds one with two minutes left. <br>• Bonneville was seeking its fourth state title overall, and first since 2012.

Sky View lost in the opening round of the Class 5A playoffs to Lone Peak 3-2 last year. When reclassification occurred before this season, many 5A teams moved to the new 5A, while the Bobcats moved down to 4A.

That didn’t matter to the winners Saturday

“We are the first girls’ soccer team in Sky View that has actually taken the trophy home as the first-place team,” Bobcats coach Sharron Wood said. “It just shows everybody in the state that we have good soccer players up in Cache Valley.”

Wood’s squad defeated Ogden, a team that had knocked off Bonneville, by a 5-0 count in Friday’s 4A semifinals.

Bonneville (15-3-2) wouldn’t go as quickly. The Lakers had multiple chances around the 15-minute mark to score first in the game.

The Lakers were seeking their fourth state title to go with crowns in 2008, 2010 and 2012, but they couldn’t punch the ball past Sky View keeper Kelsea Cracroft.

“We told the girls early on [in the season] that they had what it takes to get here,” Bonneville veteran coach Rob McDaniel said. “Talent’s one thing, but they had the heart, the drive and the team unity.

“Anytime we’ve struggled, it’s because we haven’t been able to capitalize on our opportunities. And we did have some good opportunities.”