High school boys soccer: Bountiful, Maple Mountain cap wild comebacks in 5A state semifinals

HERRIMAN — It took Alta 37 minutes to build up a lead as high as 2-0 in Monday’s 5A boys soccer state semifinals.

In less than six minutes, Bountiful knocked it down.

Sammy Serio had a goal and an assist, including the match-winning goal in the second half as the Redhawks turned a 2-0 halftime deficit into a 3-2 win over top-seeded Alta with three goals less than six minutes apart at Zions Bank Stadium.

Ezra Christansen and Pim DeJonge also scored for the Redhawks (15-5), who trailed 2-0 at halftime off a pair of goals by Madden McAllister on a pair of backpost runs following initial set-piece saves.

But Bountiful refused to get down after 40 minutes. Clean up a few things — like finishing chances in front of goal and defending the back post on a set piece — and the Redhawks would be right back in contention.

“The boys were frustrated, as you can imagine,” Bountiful coach Gabe Johnson said. “Being down 2-0 is not a great spot to be in, ever. But you could feel it; all the boys were excited to have another 40 minutes.”

DeJonge parroted his coach.

“We were frustrated and annoyed, of course,” he admitted after the match. “We felt we were in a lot of ways the better team, and should’ve been up. But I think the positivity was there, the energy. This game was easy to win; just go out there and show it.”

“Easy” is debatable. But not the Redhawks’ comeback.

It took Alta 37 minutes to get a 2-0 lead and to look fully in control of their semi-final game today against Bountiful.

It took the Redhawks 5 minutes to erase that deficit and take a lead of their own!

The Redhawks knock off the defending champs in come back fashion and will… pic.twitter.com/rOnSOnCzEt

— KSL Sports Rewind (@KSLSportsRewind) May 18, 2026

Christiansen struck first, burying a goal on a counter attack around the 50th minute to pull one back.

DeJonge equalized moments later, finishing a free kick from Dominic Lobato with 28 minutes remaining.

Three minutes after that, Alta (16-3) committed a clear foul in the penalty box and Serio stepped up to the spot to convert the go-ahead goal with 25 minutes remaining.

“Sammy stepped up,” Johnson said, “and really showed his poise to put it in the back of the net.”

The Redhawks will face sixth-seeded Maple Mountain in Friday’s 5A state championship. Kickoff is scheduled for 10 a.m. MT at Zions Bank Stadium.

5A high school boys soccer semifinals: Egbert follows through to keep Maple Mountain’s decade-long title dreams alive

Carter Egbert did everything right, and his attempt at a match-winning goal in the semifinals of the 5A boys soccer state tournament was blocked with 90 seconds left.

But that wasn’t the final shot of the day for the junior midfielder.

Egbert followed up on his blocked effort, lunging towards the rebound and ripping the ball inside the far post for the golden goal that gave Maple Mountain a 3-2 win over Hillcrest at Zions Bank Stadium.

“In my head, I was thinking about going to PKs to win it,” he said. “And then it just ended.

“I was just hunting the ball, and it dropped and came right back to me.”

It wasn’t Egbert’s first goal of the game, the season, or even his first effort of the day. But every time the Golden Eagles (15-5) missed a chance, they followed up.

The story of the match was a theme of the season, and now has the Spanish Fork-based school one win away from a second state title in program history.

Maple Mountain is heading to the 5A Championship Game!

Carter Egbert scores the Golden Goal for the Golden Eagles just as the 1st Overtime was winding down!

Maple Mountain will take on Bountiful for the title on Friday!@kslsports @TABBank @NapolesAlex @MapleMtnSports pic.twitter.com/zOBXwvyAa4

— KSL Sports Rewind (@KSLSportsRewind) May 18, 2026

“The boys really want it. It’s been a while since our program has been this far,” said Maple Mountain second-year coach Lincoln Snyder, whose team will seek its first state title since 2016. “Every moment that they can find, they look for it.”

Egbert opened the scoring for Maple Mountain, converting an open look less than five minutes and it seemed that the Golden Eagles were off and running.

But Hillcrest equalized midway through the first half through Gideon Kirby en route to the 1-1 halftime stalemate.

Kirby gave Hillcrest (13-6) a lead less than 90 seconds after halftime, when Carlos Leon found Levi Walton in transition and Walton delivered a well-played through-ball into traffic that #10 buried in the back of the net.

But Nathan Pineda helped Maple Mountain equalize in the 63rd minute, lacing a free kick from 25 yards that caromed off the underside of the crossbar before bouncing off the back of the goalkeeper for an own goal that forced extra time.

That set up Egbert, who buried his shot with 1:27 left in the first extra-time session to send the Golden Eagles through to Friday’s championship.