D-I girls semis: Desert Vista bests Desert Mountain in OT

February 9, 2016 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


A change-up of sorts on what turned out to be the last of six corner kicks for Desert Vista Tuesday night concluded with the desired result and pushed the Thunder to the Division I girls soccer final.

Izzy Deutsch found the foot of Carly Bych in the 87th minute and Bych knocked it homefrom clsoe range to give No. 3 seed Desert Vista a 1-0 win in overtime over No. 7 Desert Mountain in a semifinal match at Campo Verde High School.

It will be the third championship-match appearance for Desert Vista in the last four years. (21-3-1) and marked the third time in four meetings this season the Thunder got the better of Desert Mountain (14-6-3). Desert Vista plays for the title on Saturday (Feb. 13) against No. 4 Hamilton, a 1-0 winner in regulation over top-seed Xavier in the other semi. The final will be played at 4 p.m. at Campo Verde HS. Desert Vista is seeking its second state title. The other triumph came in 2005

Desert Vista and Hamilton have played twice this season and split. Hamilton won, 2-1, in mid-December. Desert Vista prevailed, 3-1, in the semifinals of the Arizona Soccer Showcase in late December.

Each of Desert Vista and Desert Mountain had a couple of good chances to score in regulation -- with Desert Vista enjoying a few more. Deutsch, who has committed to play in college at Hawaii, initiated all the corners  -- most of them seeking to connect with a teammate in the air. Just prior to delivering the game-changing corner, Hypolite yelled out to his team to "get up in the air". Deutsch chose to go low on this one, grounding the ball in an opening that found Bych. Bych finished it for her eighth goal of the season.

"Izzy's motor never stops," Hypolite said. "She dicatates the defense, starts the offense and is our deadball specialist. She can play defense, midfield. Anywhere."

Desert Mountain concentrated its efforts defending Desert Vista, which has been more potent offensively this year in years past. Other than some good feeds by Deutsch off corners, the Thunder got very little from game flow. 

"(Desert Mountain) is a very good defensive team," Hypolite said. "They have a very good team. We were able to stick our plan, played with great heart and great discipline."

HAMILTON 1, XAVIER PREP 0: Bryce Miniefield scored in the hectic aftermath after a corner kick in the 72nd minute to give the Huskies (18-3-2) the win over the Gators (16-4) at Campo Verde. It will be Hamilton's third title-game appearance. The Huskies won in 2011 and were runner-up in 2012.

Miniefield knocked home a rebound from about 12 yards out to cap about a 10-minute span of pressure Hamilton imposed at Xavier's end. Like the Desert Vista-Desert Mountain match before it, defense was outstanding on both sides. Hamilton's late, consistent pressure finally produced a winner.

Hamilton has won all three of its tournament matches by scores of 1-0 (Gilbert and Pinnacle in the first two rounds). The Huskies have posted eight consecutive shutouts (one of those resulting in a tie). They've allowed one goal in their last 11 games, that in a 1-0 loss to Perry.