Timpanogos kicks off Region 8 play with close win over Uintah

The Timpanogos Timberwolves are off to a strong start this season, boasting a 5-0 record with wins over Alta, Canyon View, Pleasant Grove and a 5-1 win over Juan Diego. The Timberwolves kept rolling as they kicked off their in-region play on Tuesday with a tight 1-0 home victory over Uintah.
Last year Uintah got the best of Timpanogos in its region opener, and this year Timpanogos got the best of the Utes while handing them their first shutout of the season.
“From our midfield to our defense, I think we were solid in organizing our field and keeping them compact so they couldn’t get good looks at the goal,” said Timpanogos head coach Robyn Bretzing.
Despite the close score, the Timberwolves had plenty of chances to run up the score but it couldn’t find the back of the net for most of the first half. Timpanogos kept working the ball around and it finally broke through with a pass from Georgia King to Havyn Carter in the 35th minute.
“I think it’s just our team chemistry,” Carter said. “We know each other really well and we’ve played with each other for a while. I think it’s the amount of time we spend at practices working on that touch, that possession and knowing what runs to make.”
While the Timberwolves went into halftime with a 1-0 lead, it didn’t let up offensively throughout the second half.
Timpanogos shined in the midfield, making connections and smart passes to extend offensive possessions. However, the Timberwolves continued to struggle to finish off offensive possessions.
“I think once we won the ball we had really good connections and combinations to create opportunities to score,” said Bretzing. “Today we just could not find the back of the net. We just have got to get a little more composure for the goal, but I was proud.
“To me, scoring is kind of the icing on the cake. You’d obviously like to score a lot of goals, but when you create the opportunities to score the goals will come.”
Timpanogos’ defense was as unrelenting as its offense in the second half by not allowing Uintah many opportunities to find an equalizer as the Timberwolves’ Emily Begero recorded her first shutout of the season.
The win boosts Timpanogos to 5-0 on the season and 1-0 in Region 8. The Timberwolves will play Mountain View on the road next Tuesday.
“It feels good,” said Bretzing. “We still have a lot to do. It’s a younger team and we’ve got a lot of new faces on the team. I think getting those girls to start playing together will help us. As we get more and more games under our belts, they’re going to start connecting with each other, possessing the ball better and really understanding how each other plays.”