After Rachael Papez equalized the score, Rio Tinto Stadium exploded.
Park City had just knotted things up in the 3A state title match against the defending champions, and the momentum needle was flush on the Miners’ sideline as the team took the rain-soaked match into overtime.
Five minutes into overtime, a dropped pin could’ve been heard among those clad in red and white.
Juan Diego’s Emily Bruder, star forward for the Soaring Eagle, had crossed up a couple Park City defenders and shot a hard, low shot to the far post and just like that Juan Diego had defended its title and the Miners fell to their knees.
Park City lost 2-1 Saturday in Sandy, finishing in second place in 3A soccer after dominating much of the competition throughout the season. It was the second runner-up finish by the Miners in the last three seasons, after a loss to Waterford in a shootout in 2008.
It was Park City third state title game since 2005.
“This is the most difficult challenge we’ve had all year,” said head coach Chip Cook. “We need to have more of these.”
After struggling to adjust to the speed and feel of the game in the first half, Park City’s emergency defense eventually faltered as a misplayed clear from the backline found its way onto the foot of Juan Diego’s other star attacker, Vicki Shimkus, who buried a shot into the right corner to put the Soaring Eagle up 1-0 just a minute before halftime.
“It seemed like Juan Diego was getting the bounce their way today,” Cook said. “The ball was squirting out and getting right to their feet.”
Park City’s midfield seemed to struggle with the speed of the game, and the knee injury that senior midfield general Siena Palmacci carried into the game took a bigger toll as the game wore on.
Throughout, the Miners were trying to feed their speedy freshman forward Jessica Dancy, but Juan Diego’s backline had the move scouted out. Park City’s Maggie Riegelsperger was thoroughly active throughout, pestering the Soaring Eagle defense and eventually helping Park City break through with an impressive cross to Papez with eight minutes remaining to put her team back in it.
Senior goalkeeper Bethany Kanten proved why she is one of the best keepers in the state as she made a highlight-reel one-handed save on a Juan Diego breakaway midway through the first half. Kanten had to fly off her line aggressively more than once to quell dangerous opportunities by the Soaring Eagle.
A couple minutes before Papez buried the equalizer for Park City, Cook had planned on putting Kanten in the field to perhaps provide a better chance at tying the match, but Papez took care of things and left Cook with the option to keep her star keeper in the net.
“We wanted to put some more potential firepower up on the field,” Cook said. “(Bethany’s) so physically tough; we figured that if anyone could hold the ball and pull it through, we thought maybe Bethany could.”
Park City would dominate the final eight minutes of the match, before heading to overtime.
But Juan Diego’s two star forwards, who combined to score 65 goals this season, proved to be too much for the Miner defense.
Bruder had made her way past defender Emily Hiatt, who, according to Cook, fouled Bruder and expected a foul to be called by the center official, but the whistle never came.
“I think Park City thought there was a foul that was supposed to be called, but (the center official) called play on,” Cook said. “That’s when they scored. It’s hard when you think there’s going to be a foul called and you let down a little bit. We got caught off guard.”
After Bruder finished off her game-winner, many Park City players were nearly inconsolable. As players walked off the pitch, many in eachothers’ arms, they were given a large standing ovation by the Miner fans who made their to Rio Tinto Stadium.
“I’m just so proud of them” Cook said. “They’re just amazing. They had a great season and have nothing to be ashamed of.
“Some of them are blaming themselves, and they can’t be doing that. We played a great game.”
When asked what the difference was on the day, Cook said, “It just was weird. The soccer gods. I don’t know. Sometimes the ball goes your way, sometimes it doesn’t.”
As Cook prepared to take the long lonely stroll into the tunnel at Rio Tinto Stadium, she said she had a few things to say to her team that had just added another trophy to the case at Park City High School.
“Hold your head up high. Be proud,” Cook said. “This community is ecstatic with what you’ve given them this year. Realize what you’ve done, and in the end, don’t focus on what you didn’t do.”