5A soccer championship: Roy takes No. 1 Wasatch to final minutes in heartbreaking loss
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- Roy senior captain Corben Schuffenhauer (2) dribbles around Wasatch senior Canon Downey during the 5A state boys soccer title game Thursday, May 23, 2024, at America First Field in Sandy.
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- With Roy players stunned in the background, Wasatch’s Jayden Cosper, center, celebrates his game-winning goal in the final minutes to beat Roy in the 5A state boys soccer title game Thursday, May 23, 2024, at America First Field in Sandy.
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- Roy keeper Xander Allred (1) stops a shot by Wasatch junior Jayden Cosper during the 5A state boys soccer title game Thursday, May 23, 2024, at America First Field in Sandy.
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- Roy’s starting 11 takes a knee before kickoff of the 5A state boys soccer title game against Wasatch Thursday, May 23, 2024, at America First Field in Sandy.
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- Wasatch keeper Jackson Medina, center, pulls a free kick away from Roy senior Aidan Hart (10) during the 5A state boys soccer title game Thursday, May 23, 2024, at America First Field in Sandy.
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- Roy senior Luke Harrison, center, attempts to disrupt the charge of Wasatch senior Porter Farley, right, during the 5A state boys soccer title game Thursday, May 23, 2024, at America First Field in Sandy.
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- Wasatch junior Jayden Cosper waves to the crowd after scoring the decisive goal to defeat Roy 1-0 in the 5A state boys soccer title game Thursday, May 23, 2024, at America First Field in Sandy.
SANDY — What appeared to be a game-saving stop by Roy junior Colby Frokjer quickly morphed into No. 1 Wasatch’s dream come true in the 5A state boys soccer championship Thursday at America First Field.
With less than two minutes remaining in regulation, Frokjer blocked Wasatch senior Tate Manning’s shot down the center and the loose ball found its way into traffic where Manning’s teammate Jayden Cosper cemented the Wasps’ perfect 18-0 season with a swift kick into the net.
The decisive goal left the Royals stunned through the final moments and Roy coach Craig Charlesworth’s 12 seniors walked off the field as 14-4 state runners-up.
Charlesworth and the No. 7 Royals, which entered the state playoff with the Region 5 title but having played zero non-region matches, managed big-time victories over No. 2 East (3-1) and No. 3 Salem Hills (2-1) for a seat in Thursday’s title throwdown.
The 16-year coach said nobody in Roy’s locker room should lose sleep over taking a deep Wasatch squad down to the final minutes — literally.
“I think they realize what they’ve done,” Charlesworth said. “They’ve been together obviously for a while and they play together and they love each other. They knew what they were up against today.”
Open looks were few and far between during the first half, with Roy’s best chance at the goal arriving on a free kick by senior midfielder Alex Medina with under a minute remaining.
Three saves by Roy senior goalkeeper Xander Allred — including a diving denial of Wasatch junior Cosper’s attempt from the right corner under the 25-minute mark — frustrated the Wasps’ attack throughout the opening stretch.
Roy looked to Frokjer to fill Allred’s role in goal to begin the second half, as the Royals prepared for a far more aggressive search for the net. When asked about the uptick in momentum, Roy senior Corben Schuffenhauer said it was now or never.
Schuffenhauer is still thumbing through options to continue his playing career after graduation, including Utah Tech.
“You dream as a little kid to be on these big stages,” Schuffenhauer said. “I play multiple sports and it took my senior year to finally get here. … It’s a brotherhood, I’ll love these boys for the rest of my life and I wouldn’t want to spend my last season with anyone else.”
Contained for the first 10 minutes back on the pitch, Roy broke loose for a pair of chances on the other end and began pressuring the box. A yellow card drawn against Roy junior Brayden Buttars sapped the Royals’ tempo with 30 minutes still to play.
Junior Quinn Smith fired in Roy’s next best scoring opportunity with 11 minutes to go, failing to connect with seniors Schuffenhauer and Medina in a crowded box. Wasatch senior Canon Downey let a similar opportunity pass, floating a free kick into Frokjer’s hands with just seven minutes to go.
Both clubs garnered chances as the clock slipped away, but Wasatch’s game-winning sequence proved fatal for a Roy defense that outshined the top-seed Wasps’ pressuring offense through nearly 80 minutes.
Starting keeper Allred felt Roy’s back four stood up well after holding Wasatch goalless through the first half.
“Coming out of the second half we hardly missed a beat,” Allred said. “We had the energy, and we needed it — these games need all that energy. That’s what motivates you to push yourself and dig deep and find your potential.”
With Roy’s would-have-been second state title now in the clouds (and what would have been only the 10th title for any team in the school’s 59-year history), Charlesworth plans to carry his favorite theme of this year’s team — unity — into the Royals’ next championship search.
“They fight for everything,” Charlesworth said. “They’re united, they’re a team and they love each other. That’s it.”
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story incorrectly identified Roy’s second-half goal keeper. The Standard-Examiner regrets the error.