DRAPER — Layton High girls soccer came into Tuesday’s 6A state semifinal against Riverton knowing that the Silverwolves were adept at long-range shots.

For the overwhelming majority of the teams’ game at Juan Diego High School, the No. 6 Lancers pressured Riverton enough and deterred long-range attempts.

But it was a long-range chance that spelled the end of Layton’s playoff run, a one-time shot in the first period of extra time by Erin Naylor that gave No. 2 Riverton a 2-1 win and sent the Silverwolves to their first girls soccer state title game appearance in school history.

“To be honest, they played a great game. We passed the ball around, we just didn’t get the ball in the back of the net and the outcome is what it is,” Layton coach Tara Ferrin said. “I know we lost, but it was their best game in terms of developing, passing, I think we just got playing better and better.”

A defensive first half yielded no goals between the two and the attacking tempo didn’t pick up until 10 minutes into the second half when Layton (13-6) goalkeeper Rilee Godfrey rushed out of her goal to clear a through ball.

That was the start of a frenetic 30 minutes to close regulation, which saw some corner kicks, good chances for both teams and an injury to one of Layton’s starting defenders, Morgan Ostrowski.

Riverton soccer players celebrate after defeating Layton 2-1 in the 6A state soccer semifinals Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021, at Juan Diego High School in Draper.

In the 60th minute, Layton forward Erin Bailey missed what appeared to be her team’s golden chance after midfielder Braelyn Baclayon set a perfect pass to Bailey, whose shot went just wide of the far post.

But when a high ball went in Bailey’s direction up top a few minutes later, she corralled it under her foot, ducked a defender, did a couple stepover moves on the ball, cut left and shot low into the bottom corner for a 1-0 lead and her 6A-leading 27th goal of the season.

“Yeah, (Bailey’s) really a good player, and we made sure that we always had somebody behind whoever was on her just to make sure that we could clean up whatever we could get,” Riverton coach Paul Moizer said. “Even then, she still got one.”

Bailey’s celebration went all the way to the Lancers fans, and then four minutes later it was Riverton celebrating a long-range goal that bounced over Godfrey’s head and into the back of the net.

Layton’s Kristen Moss had a low shot on goal saved in the 73rd minute. Bailey had a short-angled shot attempt that went just wide in the 74th minute.

Godfrey kept the score 1-1 with a full-stretch save in the 76th as Layton’s defenders had to fend off multiple corner kicks.

In extra time, Riverton broke the deadlock with Naylor’s long-range, first-time shot and ensured not only a Layton loss but that, for the first time since 2008, Utah’s highest classification of prep sports (that was 5A until the 2017 season) won’t have a Northern Utah team playing in the girls soccer state championship game.

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