The Heart Mountain U12 soccer team had a spring season to remember, advancing to the championship game in two of the four tournaments it competed in.

Led by coaches Jael Fisher and Rachel Bitton, the U12 posted a 6-7-2 record. The season ended with an appearance in the State Cup Championship Game, with Heart Mountain losing an overtime shootout to Rawlins for the title.

“The championship game was a heartbreaker to get that close to winning it all,” Fisher said. “But in the long run, it was a great experience for the kids. A lot of soccer players never get to the point of shooting penalty kicks, ever.”

Magic City Classic-Billings

Heart Mountain started the season strong, going 2-2 at the Magic City Classic in Billings April 27-28.

Against the Casper Blades in the opening round, Heart Mountain lost 4-1. Caden Nelson had the lone tally for the U12 team, off an assist by Brenna Henderson.

Heart Mountain bounced back in the second round against the Laurel Storm, posting a 5-3 win.  Nelson had a hat trick in the game, while Sean Ferguson had a goal and two assists. Keeper Cody Fisher was strong in net for Heart Mountain, while Coy Erickson, Colton Bitton and Braylon Marchant controlled the action in the middle and on defense.

Round three was a rematch against the Casper Blades, with Heart Mountain avenging their earlier loss in dominating fashion with a 4-0 win. The victory propelled Heart Mountain into a semifinal matchup against Johnson County, a team that had yet to give up a goal at that point of the tournament. Heart Mountain lost 5-2, though goals were scored by Henderson and Nelson. Emily Orr had a strong game defensively, according to coach Fisher.

“Despite the horrible weather, the kids gave 110 percent all weekend,” she said. “[We’re] very proud of their effort in this first tournament of the season.”

Snickers Cup-Sheridan

Heart Mountain traveled to Sheridan May 4-5 for the Snickers Cup, and much like their U15 teammates, advanced to the championship game with a 2-1-1 record.

Paced by Nelson and Orr, Heart Mountain opened the tournament strong, with a 4-3 win over Worland and a 3-1 win over the Razor City Renegades.

Heart Mountain battled Rawlins to a 3-3 tie in the third game while being forced to play eight-on-eight due to multiple injuries on the Rawlins side. Cody Fisher had multiple saves in net for the U12 team.

The championship game was a rematch with Razor City, with the Renegades winning 3-1 in overtime.

“All the kids played great, despite the rain, sleet, snow and cold,” coach Fisher said.

Cody Shootout

At the Cody Shootout May 11-12, Heart Mountain opened with a tough 4-0 loss to SC Storm Blue.

“It was a tough game. We had a lot of shots, just couldn’t get anything to go in,” Fisher said.

Heart Mountain rebounded with a 3-3 tie in the second round against Laurel Storm Purple. Nelson had a pair of goals and Ferguson had one to lead the team, though penalties proved costly down the stretch.

“[We] were leading most of the game,” coach Fisher said. “We started getting a lot of penalties late that allowed Laurel to catch up. Laurel kicked a penalty kick in the last couple of minutes to tie the game.”

Heart Mountain’s final game was a rematch with Laurel Storm Purple, with the Powell team winning a physical contest 5-2. Nelson led the charge with four goals; Cody Fisher scored the fifth goal on a corner kick.

“The whole team gave 100 percent,” coach Fisher said. “They won the ball and didn’t give up. There was lots of contact during this game, but all the kids pushed right back.”

State Cup-Casper

Heart Mountain ended its season at the State Cup in Casper May 25-26, advancing all the way to the championship game before losing to Rawlins in an overtime shootout.

“I was worried Saturday, [May 26,]” as the players seemed tired and slow,” Fisher said. “But Sunday they turned it around and came out strong in both games.”

After losing to Rawlins 5-3 and Worland 7-4 to open the tournament, Heart Mountain got a little payback against Worland with a 3-2 win. Ferguson, Brenna Henderson and Braylon Marchant each found the back of the net in the contest.

Against Rawlins in the title game, the score was knotted at 5-5 at the end of regulation. Neither team could score in overtime, and the game was decided by a shootout. Ferguson and Orr scored, but Nelson and Coy Erickson missed as Rawlins held on for the win.

“It [penalty kicks] is a shot that seems simple, but with the weight of winning on top of that, it really is a stressful position as a player to be in,” coach Fisher said.