Manti and Morgan kick their way into a tie in first pre-season game

By James Tilson

Assocaite Editor

MANTI—The Manti High School girls’ soccer team completed their “pre-season” schedule by earning a tie against rival Morgan High School, 1-1.

The Lady Templars have taken to scheduling teams from the Wasatch Front in the early season, in order to increase their strength of schedule and get a taste of the tougher teams to the north. While they are in a brand-new region this year, Manti is typically very strong in region play.

In previous years, the Lady Templars have taken their lumps during this part of the season. However, this year Manti earned two ties and one loss against two No.1 ranked teams and a No. 3 ranked team.

“For us, we need to play team ball,” said Manti Coach Elishia Steifeldt. “We have to have strength in a team approach; it can’t be one person that runs it.”

On last Saturday, against Morgan, the team that has ousted Manti from the state playoffs the last two years running, the Lady Templars used its “team approach” to stymy the Morgan attack, and breakthrough for their first goal of the year.

“Kassidy Alder and Megan Olson, on the wings, had good games for us today,” said Steifeldt. “The wing play broke us into the attacking third. If we can use our wings consistently, it’s going to be better all around.”

On their goal, the Lady Templars were able to use an attack started by Alder, and score on the rebound slotted home by forward Ally Squire.  Unfortunately, Morgan counter-attacked on its next possession to get an equalizing goal, which stood for the rest of the game for the tie.

Manti begins its region schedule this week, traveling to Union on Tuesday (after time of press) and then hosting Delta today at 4 p.m.