Olympus boys soccer ends season with tournament loss
Jun 04, 2024 11:32AM ● By Josh McFadden
In a competitive Region 6, the Olympus boys soccer team had faced some tough foes all season long.
And it faced two more in the state tournament.
Olympus defeated fellow Region 6 opponent West in the first round of the Class 5A state tournament by the score of 1-0 on May 10. This pitted the Titans against another familiar face: the Alta Hawks.
Olympus had split the season series with West, having won 4-1 just three days before the teams’ playoff meeting and having lost 2-0 on April 12. In the playoffs, playing at home, Olympus ousted West 3-2. The Titans, seeded 13th in the playoffs, prevailed in overtime after the score was tied 1-1 at halftime and 2-2 after regulation. Asher Gubler scored in overtime to secure the victory. In regulation, teammates Talmage Gilbert and Cardon Neff found the back of the net. Jameson Turpin, Paul Proctor and Brigham Marberger had assists.
The Titans then had to defeat an Alta team in the second round that it lost to twice in the regular season.
The playoff matchup didn’t end differently.
Olympus lost at Alta 1-0 in overtime in a heartbreaking loss to the Hawks. The Titans played solid defense but couldn’t penetrate the Alta goal. It was just the third time all season that Olympus had suffered a shutout. With the loss, the Titans ended their season with a record of 7-8. The team was 5-7 in league play, tied for fourth. Olympus started the season 3-0 and 4-1 before getting into the heart of region action. Only one of the team’s eight losses came by more than two goals.
Individually, Neff was one of the most prolific scorers in Class 5A. His 16 goals ranked him fourth among all 5A players and 14th in the state. He was also second on the team in assists with four. Arden Harris contributed four goals on the season, with Gubler scoring three and leading the team with six assists. Goalie Nick Wright had three shutouts in the net.
Scoring goals wasn’t generally an issue this season for Olympus. The Titans tallied 37 goals on the season, third in Region 6. The team had a season-high seven goals in a six-point win over Highland on March 22. The Titans also had four goals in the season opener over Cottonwood on March 6 and four in a shutout over Brighton on April 16. In two other games, Olympus registered three goals in victories.
Neff graduates this school year, so his career is over at Olympus. It will be no easy task filling his shoes. He had 22 goals and 21 assists during his time as a Titan. However, Gubler, a junior, and Harris, a sophomore, will return in 2025. Proctor will also be back, part of 22 underclassmen who will be in the program next season.
The offseason will be crucial for the Titans. Returning team members will play club ball before regrouping next March for the 2025 campaign. Olympus once again expects to face stiff competition among its region foes. λ