facebook-pixel

Sister Act: Siblings help rally American Fork past Syracuse for state crown

(Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune) American Fork Derek Dunn celebrates with his team as the Cavemen beat Syracuse 3-1 to win the 6A championship game played at Rio Tinto, Friday, October 20, 2017.

(Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune) American Fork Derek Dunn celebrates with his team as the Cavemen beat Syracuse 3-1 to win the 6A championship game played at Rio Tinto, Friday, October 20, 2017.

Sandy • American Fork become adept at coming back from an early deficit by playing in the most viciously competitive region in the state.

The Cavemen proved they’re the queens of comebacks Friday when they rallied from a halftime deficit to claim the school’s first girls’ soccer state championship with a 3-1 victory over Syracuse at Rio Tinto Stadium.

Sisters Josie and Jamie Shepherd both scored a goal to complete the American Fork comeback before junior forward Addison Holmstead sealed the victory with her eighth goal of the season in the 70th minute of the Class 6A championship.

“We’ve been down before,” Holmstead said. “I knew and everyone else knew that we could make this comeback. We wanted it more than anyone wanted it. This is just the best feeling ever.”

It was Syracuse that struck first when freshman phenom Caroline Stringfellow got her head onto a corner kick from fellow freshman Sarah Wynn. Stringfellow’s header evaded the outstretched arm of Cavemen goalkeeper Haven Empey and found the top netting at the right post to give the Titans a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute.

After failing to equalize before the break, American Fork coach Derek Dunn had little to say to his team during the break.

“It’s funny how everyone says, ‘What does a coach say at halftime?’” Dunn said. “It’s not what a coach says. It’s about what your team does at halftime. They did it. They said it. They said, ‘We’re doing it. We’re fine’. Just keep doing what we’re doing. They’re going to go in. That’s exactly what happened.”

The comeback started from the opening whistle of the second half. The Cavemen came out sprinting at the Syracuse defense. After earning a couple chances in the opening minutes, another freshman star took center stage when Josie Shepherd put a half-volley shot into the corner at the far post to even the match at 1-1 in the 43rd minute.

“We’ve come back a lot in our season,” Josie said. “There was no way they were going to take this state championship from us. As soon as I scored, I was like, ‘We got this.’”

AMERICAN FORK 3, SYRACUSE 1 <br>• The Cavemen capture the school’s first state in girls’ soccer in the program’s first state championship match. <br>• Sisters Josie and Jamie Shepherd both score a goal in American Fork’s victory. <br>• Syracuse, which also was playing in its first state final, gets its goal from freshman Caroline Stringfellow in the first half.

After 18 more minutes of dominant offensive soccer from the Cavemen, older sister Jamie Shepherd completed the comeback in the 61st minute thanks to some nifty moves from her teammates.

Rachel McCarthy sent a cross into the Syracuse penalty area and Holmstead committed a defender by running over the pass, which left an unmarked Shepherd in the middle to slot home a shot at the far post.

“I just told her to leave it,” Jamie said she told Holmstead. “I was right in front of the goal and it was an easy setup.”

Jamie’s goal, her team-leading 15th goal of the season, will go down as the official game-winner, giving the Shepherd sisters a goal apiece in the most important game of their soccer careers.

“It’s very cool,” Jamie said. “I’m just so lucky to be able to play with her, and I’m lucky that I get another year with her. I just love playing with her. It’s been awesome.”

American Fork finished 19-1, with its lone loss coming to region rival Bingham a week before the state tournament.

“That loss helped us,” Dunn said. “We got organized again, and it kind of takes that pressure off of you. The team really just rallied after that. I guess I should really thank them for giving us a loss when they did.”