Alta boys soccer finishes second in region, reaches state quarterfinals
Jun 04, 2024 02:57PM ● By Josh McFadden
Goalkeeper Thiago Moreira makes a save in a game earlier this season for the Alta boys soccer team. The Hawks placed second in Region 6 and reached the Class 5A quarterfinals. (Photo courtesy of @jackloinstagram)
By narrow margins, the Alta boys soccer team just missed out on a region title and a trip to the Class 5A state semifinals.
The Hawks’ season ended May 17 with a 1-0 loss in the 5A quarterfinals to Region 4’s Hunter. The lone goal came by way of penalty kick early in the second half, and Alta couldn’t score the equalizer. It was just the second time all season the Hawks had suffered a shutout. With the loss, Alta’s season ended with a 12-4 record.
Alta placed second in Region 6, finishing just a game behind East with a 9-3 mark in league play. The Hawks lost to Skyline 4-3 on April 16, to East 4-0 on April 30 and to Brighton 2-1 on May 3. The 2-3 stretch from April 16 to May 3 was a rough one for the Hawks that ultimately cost the team a region championship.
Still, there was plenty to enjoy about the successful season.
Alta tallied 41 goals in its 16 games this season, with plenty of players contributing on the offensive end. Josh Glazier was one of 5A’s top scorers. The junior forward had 12 goals on the year, tied for seventh in 5A. Senior midfielder Justin Roberts was second on the team with six goals and the leader with 11 assists. His assist total was third-best in 5A and 13th in the state. Senior midfielder Ashton VandenBerg had four goals this season, while Dawson Barney, Noah Heil and Logan Kunz each had three goals. VandenBerg and Kunz also added five assists.
Defensively, the Hawks had some trouble late in the season, but the unit was solid overall. Alta got 2.5 shutouts from goalkeeper Thiago Moreira, a senior. Backup goalie Chase Radford, who will be back next season as a senior, saw some time in the net and produce 1.5 shutouts. Alta allowed 20 goals this season, including 16 in league play. Eight of those came in losses to Skyline and East. At state, Alta secured a first-round bye by getting the fourth seed. In the second round, the Hawks hosted Olympus, a team it had already faced—and defeated—twice during the regular season.
This matchup proved to be more difficult than the previous two.
Alta beat Olympus 3-1 on March 19 and 2-0 on April 19. However, in this much more important contest, an extra period of play had to decide the outcome. After a scoreless regulation, the game went into overtime. There, JT Orr assisted on a clinching goal from Kunz, sending the Hawks to the quarterfinals.
Having played in the state title game the previous two season—winning it in a shootout over Lehi in 2022 and falling to Wasatch a year ago—this season may not have been the one the Hawks wanted. The quarterfinals loss was the earliest postseason exit for Alta since falling in the second round to Skyline in 2021. But some key pieces are back in 2025 for Alta to make another run at state supremacy.
Head coach Mackenezie Hyer, who has amassed a record of 83-26 in seven season at Alta, will welcome back nine players from this season’s varsity squad. Foremost among the returners will be Glazier, who will look to build on his impressive junior campaign. λ