Over their current 16-game winning streak, the Miners girls soccer team has shown they can overcome anything.
On Tuesday night in their playoff opener on Dozier Field, Park City faced harsh weather conditions — some rain, sleet and hail — and a familiar foe in Jordan, who was rounding into form.
The Miners would end up overcoming it all, but it wasn’t easy. Jordan pushed Park City into overtime, when sophomore Dyllann Reed broke the scoreless tie with a well-timed high finish in front of the Jordan goalie. Miners star Elsa Dellenbach set Reed up perfectly on the finishing play, running down a ball on the right side of the soaked Dozier pitch and centering it for her teammate.
The Park City fans, which stuck out the game amid the poor conditions, rushed the field to celebrate with the girls. The win meant the Miners season stays alive, and the team will travel to face Mountain Crest in the playoff quarterfinals 4 p.m. on Thursday. Mountain Crest is the fourth seed in the 4A bracket and Park City the fifth. The winner Thursday will advance to the semifinals Monday at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman.
Miners Head Coach Anthony DiCicco said he was extremely proud of Reed and Dellenbach Tuesday, but also of his team’s defense. Led by goalie Sierra Cobleigh, the defense pitched a shutout amid the messy, slippery conditions. Park City shutout Jordan’s star Sydney Vessey, the seventh-ranked goal scorer in the state twice this season, including Tuesday.
“That’s what’s required at this point in the season,” DiCicco said about his team’s fight Tuesday. “You’ve got to find a way, and they did.”
DiCicco said he told his girls that Tuesday’s conditions were Park City weather and that they should look at them like an advantage. While the team didn’t want to go to sudden death overtime, they did what it took to avoid a season-ending upset. DiCicco credited Jordan for their effort on defense and making Tuesday’s game much closer than the two teams’ previous meetings this season, which the Miners won by a combined 6-1.
“They didn’t make it easy,” DiCicco said. “As the game went on, I think Jordan’s belief probably grew. … Classy, classy finish to find a way to roof that one,” referring to Reed finding the top of the netting on her winning goal.
DiCicco said his bunch has worked too hard and for too long to go down quickly in the playoffs. They weren’t going to take too much time to enjoy the win because they know they’re going to get Mountain Crest’s best shot Thursday. DiCicco is again expecting the margins Thursday to be razor-thin. Mountain Crest is 15-3 and the champs of their region, like Park City.
“We know Mountain Crest will be good,” DiCicco said. “We have to focus on being the best version of ourselves. … If we’re focused too much on Mountain Crest, we’re not going to be able to do what we need to do.”
The Miners will watch film from Tuesday’s game to see where they can improve. They want to hit the ground running and impose their will on Mountain Crest. Park City is hopeful they’ll have some solid road support despite the nearly two-hour drive north. DiCicco said he was very proud of the way fellow Park City High athletes and the community supported his team Tuesday.
“It means a lot,” Reed said after her game-winner Tuesday. “I just moved from Texas, and it’s my first year here. I’m really proud to have already come this far, with all the accomplishments we’ve had. … I feel like everyone here is family and we can always count on each other and have a great time.”