PCHS boys soccer Miners beat the Beetdiggers from Jordan at home on Senior Night

PARK CITY, Utah — The Park City High School boys soccer team celebrated Senior Night in style Saturday, defeating the Jordan High Beetdiggers 4–1 in front of a home crowd at Dozier Field.

Food trucks fed spectators, who wore red for the occasion and swirled red rally towels, which read Miners above their heads. Four fans wore shirts with handwritten names of players they were rooting for. The name of the the keeper, ROOT, was emblazoned on the front and when they turned around, well, at first the backs of their custom made shirts read TROY, since there is no Troy on the team, they quickly realized that the two O-wearers needed to switch places, then it read TORY in support of players Root Roepke and Tory Hoffman. 

That’s all right though because the rest of Hoffman’s fans held up the big paper heads of his picture they’d made.

Before the game started red and white balloon bundles flanked the non senior players who formed two lines on the field between which the seniors walked with their parents who were handed flower bouquets and siblings.

The seniors’ names and photos were were individually displayed on the digital scoreboard while professional photographs were taken. Over the PA system, senior soccer players’ names were announced, along with their favorite memories playing soccer and their future plans including which colleges they’ve been accepted into, their majors and any sports they’ll continue.

Soccer Seniors:

• Talon Flinders, #54, University of Utah, Business/Finance
• Taylor Garland, #4, Utah Valley University, Aviation
• Christopher Hernandez, #16, played 3rd Division Pro in Mexico
• Carson Hone, #8, Montana State Univ, Soccer, Construction
• Tory Hoffman, #79, Dartmouth, DI XC Skiing, Math
• Al Hopkins, #20, Utah Tech University, DI soccer, Biology
• Santiago Infante, #17, University of Utah, Law
• Nicolas Janssen, #32, Univ of Redlands DIII Soccer, Business
• Alan Marin, #12, College and Soccer plans
• Malachi Merrill, #27, LDS Mission in Suriname
• Sawyer Moran, #6, University of Utah, Business
• Andrew Olsen, #22, Mission in Guyana~University of Utah
• Root Roepke, #1, University of Utah, Emergency Medical Service
• Sam Rodriguez, #49, College and Soccer plans
• Colton Sheffert, #18, Occidental College DIII Soccer
• Ben Sidlow, #26, College and Aviation plans
• Alex Vieyra, #76, Utah St. East, DI Jr. College Soccer, Aviation 
• Sean Whitaker, #23, College and Skiing plans

The Starters lined up to begin the game.

The match then got underway, but not before this pre-game ritual.

With 18 minutes to go in the first half, junior classman Matt Schneider scored then he scored again with 10 minutes left making it 2 – 0 Miners.

Principal Roger Arbabi was in attendance and told TownLift, “It’s wonderful to see the seniors get recognized for their past, present and future accomplishments, and for their families to be included in the festivities.”

Head Coach, Anthony Dicicco has happy with the win. His late father was a coach for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team when they won Olympic gold in 1996 and the FIFA World Cup in 1999. He told TownLift, “It was a great atmosphere here at Dozier tonight. It’s fun to see the boys not only celebrated but also celebrate a well-deserved victory.”

Quinn Kelley, also a junior classman put the third point on the board in the second half, still with a nil on Jordan’s side.

Park City played their set pieces well as shown below.

With 25 minutes remaining in the game, Keeper, Roepke received a Yellow Card in the same play that the Beetdiggers scored their one and only goal of the game making it 3 – 1 Miners. One play and less than one minute later Roepke was put back in and finished out the game tending his goal. Some in the stands questioned the call, decide for yourself below.

Al Hopkins scored the final point of the game in the final minute of the game. Watch that winning goal below.

People in the stands may have been a bit surprised to see Pete Gillwald next to them as he’s usually up in the announcers booth for the football games but it was a surprise to no one to see his wife, Executive Director of the Park City Soccer Club, Shelley there cheering on the team, all but two of whom have been players for her Club for years and years. She told TownLift, “I’m so proud of this whole team, and congratulations to those going on to play soccer in college. It’s always great to be able to be here on the sidelines with all these amazing parents and tonight’s win makes it that much more exciting.” Pete and Shelley’s son has gone on from the PCSC to become a soccer official as high as the MLS level.

The team lost their previous home game against school-rivals who otherwise compete in a higher region classification, The Wasatch Wasps from neighboring Heber, and making up for some early-season snowwed-out matches, their next game is against Stansbury tonight at home starting at 5:30.