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UYSA Game of the Week, March 21

Posted at 5:19 PM, Mar 23, 2018
and last updated 2018-03-27 16:46:08-04

The following is sponsored by Utah Youth Soccer Association.

19U Girls Celtic FC vs Utah FC

The first Game of the Week of the season was a fantastic match between two of the best teams in the state. Which was won 3-2 by Utah FC.

The Celtic FC team coached by Steve Magleby, recently hired on as an assistant with the BYU women’s program, is one of the most talented teams in the state with multiple girls having committed to play in college locally and nationally. The team is playing in an older age group and still competed with the top teams in the 19U division.

The Utah FC team is extremely talented in its own right with multiple girls having committed to college including at BYU. The team is considered the favorite in the 19U age group as they have won a state championship and lost in last year’s final. This being their senior season look for them to be highly motivated to go out on top.

The game started off with a bang as Jamie Shepherd of Celtic FC scored after only 7 minutes to put the young Celtic FC team on top. Utah FC countered quickly with a headed goal scored by Ashton Brockbank, a BYU commit, to tie things up. The game was an interesting one as Celtic FC looked to play possession while Utah FC was content to pounce on a loose pass and counter quickly.

It was exactly one of these exchanges that lead to the Utah FC second goal. Breaking on the counter they took a shot, which was parried by Celtic FC goalkeeper Chelsea Petersen, but she could do nothing as the rebound fell to a streaking Tess Donaldson who buried it.

The rest of the first half saw a couple clear chances for Celtic FC but each was stopped by the tremendous Marren Nielsen for Utah FC.

In the second half, some more fantastic saves from Marren kept the game level until Anna Pickering, who had recently been robbed by the post took a cross and put it in the back of the net despite a touch from a sprawling Marren.

Things looked all done and dusted until a goalmouth scramble off a corner kick saw Alyssa Spackman punch the ball home for the winner claiming all three points for Utah FC.

Tonight’s Man of the Match was Utah FC Goalkeeper Marren Nielsen.