By Josh McFadden | [email protected]

For the seventh straight year, the Skyline boys soccer team did what every high school team wants to accomplish: reach the state tournament. 

Unfortunately for the Eagles, they also suffered their earliest postseason exit since 2016, falling in the first round to Wasatch by the score of 2-1 in a hard-fought double-overtime game. 

The Eagles performed admirably against Wasatch, the champions from Region 8. The Wasps entered the contests with a 12-1-2 mark, one of the best records in the state. Wasatch hadn’t been challenged much during the season, as it had won its region games by nearly a 4-1 average per contest. 

But Skyline gave the Wasps all they could handle.

The Eagles struck first in the playoff game, held May 14 on Wasatch’s home field. The 1-0 edge at the break gave an opponent a halftime lead over the Wasps for just the third time all season. Wasatch got the equalizer in the second half, sending the game into overtime. No one scored in the first overtime period, but before the game could go to a shootout, the Wasps got the game-winner in the second overtime session. 

The Eagles have plenty to be pleased with, despite the short stay in the playoffs. 

Skyline went 5-5 in Region 6 play and 7-7-2 overall. The team was just one point behind third-place East and one win behind runner-up West. It also played two close games with region champion Olympus, losing 1-0 on April 9 and 2-1 on May 3.

The Eagles gave up just one goal per game in region action and allowed only 14 all season compared to 23 goals scored. Skyline started out 1-4 in region games but rebounded to go 4-1 the rest of the way. Only one of the team’s five league defeats was by more than one goal. Meanwhile, the Eagles had a pair of blowout wins over Highland (4-0 and 5-0) and also knew how to win close games, prevailing in three one-point matches. The Eagles concluded the year by defeating East 1-0 on May 7, and Murray, 2-1 on May 10. Both of those teams had defeated the Eagles in earlier meetings. 

Defensively, goalkeeping and the back line helped shut out seven opponents. Skyline allowed more than two goals in a game just once all year. It held Wasatch to 1.3 goals below its season average.