Written By:  Andrew Mosier
Photography: Uriel Bento

 

CHECKING INTO THE WASATCH DIVISION AS TEAMS END INTO THEIR FINAL GAMES OF THE SEASON

 

With two weeks left, the Wasatch Division is still very much up for grabs. The No. 17 Utah Surf took a huge step towards its first division title with a pair of wins including a 4-2 win over No. 6 Utah Avalanche. Two points back with a game in hand, No. 11 La Roca FC rue several missed chances in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at the Avalanche that would have put it at the top of the table. The Avalanche is equally as rueful, as the draw moved it from first to third in the standings, making a third consecutive Wasatch Division title an uphill battle. 

 

Wednesday, June 12

(11) LA ROCA FC 5 – 2 UTAH RED DEVILS

 

1-0: Arevalo (Howes) 13’

2-0: Neves (Olsen) 33’

2-1: Moses Hernandez 45+5’

2-2: Santiago (Carlisle) 48’

3-2: Arevalo (Olsen) 59’

4-2: Howes (Woodyatt) 67’

5-2: Gwynn 82’

Bizzy Arevalo continued her torrid goalscoring streak bringing her total to six goals with a brace for La Roca FC versus the  Red Devils. After Arevalo (Utah State University) opened scoring in the 13’ minute, Sophie Neves (Abilene Christian University) doubled the lead in the 33’ minute.

All season the Red Devils has proven the club can score goals itself. Zoe Moses Hernandez (post-collegiate) pulled one back for the Red Devils in the last seconds of first half stoppage time. Sadie Santiago (Southern Utah University) pulled the game level three minutes into the start of the second half with her third goal of the season. 

From there it was all La Roca. Arevalo scored just short of the hour mark for her seventh goal of the season, followed by Kate Howes (University of Portland) in the 67’ minute with her second goal of the season. Ashlyn Gwynn (academy player) capped the scoring with her first goal of the season. 

The win move La Roca to 5-0-1 on the season. The Red Devils remain winless at 0-5-0. 

 

(17) UTAH SURF 4 – 2 (6) UTAH AVALANCHE 

 

1-0: Serassio (Dare) 31’

2-0: Serassio (Dare) 42’

2-1: Munson (Heavrin) 44’

3-1: Serassio (Evans) 51’

3-2: Denney (Hall) 64’

4-2: Dare (Bell) 85’

In Week 2, the Utah Surf did something no other Wasatch Division team did before: beat the Utah Avalanche. And on the road no less, shutting out the leading scorer in the nation in the 2-0 win. On Wednesday, the 17th-ranked Surf did it again, at home this time, beating the No. 6 ranked team in the country 4-2. 

Danika Serassio upped her scoring total to six goals on the season thanks to a hattrick versus the Avalanche. Serassio (post-collegiate) opened scoring in the 31’ minute, tallying her second in the 42’ minute to make it 2-0. Serassio’s first two goals came by way of Carli Dare assists.

Hope Munson pulled a goal back for the Avalanche, which was playing without its top two leading scorers, Seven Castain (10 goals)(Texas Christian University) and Colette Smith (four goals)(post-collegiate) in the lineup. 

Serassio bagged her third on the night in the 51’ minute to bring her total to seven on the season, trailing only the Avalanche’s Castain for goals in the Wasatch Division. 

Kate Denney (Brigham Young University) pulled the Avalanche back to within one goal in the 64’ minute with her second goal of the game, before Dare (Colorado Mesa University) got a goal of her own with five minutes to play to make it 4-2. 

The win move the Surf to 5-1-1 on the season. The Avalanche fell to 5-0-2. 

 

Friday, June 14

UTAH RED DEVILS 0 – 6 (17) UTAH SURF

 

0-1: Sellers 25’

0-2: Evans (Bell) 26’

0-3: Evans 32’

4-0: Dare 82’

5-0: Winterton (Evans) 90’

6-0: Winterton (Evans) 90+1’

The Utah Surf were back at it on Friday, two days after its historic sweep of the Utah Avalanche in Wasatch Division play, having little trouble with the Utah Red Devils on the road. 

McKenzie Evans (post-collegiate) tallied two goals and two assists, and Makinna Winterton (post-collegiate) contributed a brace in the 6-0 win. Solena Sellers (Utah State University) and Regan Dare (Colorado Mesa University) also recorded goals in the win. 

The win moved the Surf (6-1-1, 19 points) to the top of the Wasatch Division table with two games to play in the season. The Red Devils fell to 1-7-0.

 

Saturday, June 15
 

(6) UTAH AVALANCHE 1 – 1 (11) LA ROCA FC

 

1-0: Hall (Beardall) 5’

1-1: Arevalo (Stringfellow) 62’

Things got a lot more interesting in the Wasatch Division standings on Saturday when the No. 6 and No. 11 teams in the country played to a 1-1 draw. 

Lily Hall (College of William & Mary) put the hosts in the lead in the fifth minute on her second goal of the season.

Bizzy Arevalo (Utah State University) banged in her seventh goal of the season to pull La Roca level in the 62’ minute.

La Roca (5-0-2, 19 pts.) remains the only unbeaten team in the Wasatch Division, and holds a game in hand over first place Utah Surf (6-1-1, 19 pts.) and the Utah Avalanche (5-2-1, 16 points). 

The Avalanche hosts Griffins FC (2-4-0, 6 pts.) on Tuesday, June 18 and closes out its season on the road Thursday at La Roca in what could determine the Wasatch Division winner.

La Roca hosts the Utah Avalanche Thursday, June 7, Griffins FC (2-4-0, 6 pts.) Saturday, June 22, and closes out its season on the road at the Utah Red Devils Sunday, June 29. 

 

UTAH RED DEVILS 3 – 1 GRIFFINS FC

 

1-0: Didericksen 12’

1-1: Own Goal 37’

2-1: Moses Hernandez (Williams) 68’

3-1: Didericksen 88’

The Utah Red Devils picked up its first win of the season Saturday, topping Griffins FC 3-1 behind two goals by Michaela Didericksen. 

Playing in her first game of the WPSL season, Didericksen (post-collegiate) tallied twice for the Red Devils, opening scoring in the 12’ minute, and to close out the game at 3-1 in the 88th. 

The score was leveled in the 37’ minute thanks to a Red Devils’ own goal. 

Zoe Moses Hernandez (post-collegiate) scored her second goal in consecutive matches to put the Red Devils ahead in the 68’ minute, followed by Diderickson with her second in the game twenty minutes later. 

The win moved the Red Devils to 1-7-0 (three points) on the season. Griffins FC fell to 2-4-0 (six points). 

The Red Devils return to action on Sunday when they travel to face Northern Utah United (1-0-6), and close out the season June 29 hosting No. 11 La Roca FC. 

Griffins FC start a difficult week away on Tuesday at No. 6 Utah Avalanche, host No. 17 Utah Surf on Thursday, and then travel to face No. 11 La Roca on Saturday. Griffins close out the season Friday, June 28 at Northern Utah United. 

 

WASATCH DIVISION STANDINGS — WEEK 6

 

1. Utah Surf: 6-1-1, 19 pts.

2. La Roca FC: 5-0-2, 17 pts.

3. Utah Avalanche: 5-2-1, 16 pts.

4. Griffins FC: 1-7-0, 6 pts.

5. Utah Red Devils: 1-7-0, 3 pts.

6. Northern Utah United: 1-6-0, 3 pts.

 

LEADING SCORERS — WEEK 6

Goals

10 — Seven Castain — Utah Avalanche

7 — Bizzy Arevalo — La Roca FC

6 — Danika Serassio — Utah Surf

6 — McKenzie Evans — Utah Surf

5 — Makinna Winterton — Utah Surf

4 — Lily Boyden — La Roca FC

4 — Sophie White — La Roca FC

4 — Colette Jepson Smith — Utah Avalanche

 

WEEK 7 FIXTURES

Tuesday, June 18
UTAH AVALANCHE vs. GRIFFINS FC

Thursday, June 20
LA ROCS FC vs. UTAH AVALANCHE
GRIFFINS FC vs. UTAH SURF

Saturday, June 22
LA ROCA FC vs. GRIFFINS FC
NORTHERN UTAH UNITED vs. UTAH RED DEVILS