Standard-Examiner DENNIS MONTGOMERY/Special to the Standard-Examiner Riverton's Nicolas Tanner (29) scores the only goal as he puts a shot past Fremont keeper Brayden Nielsen during the first period of Thursday's 5-A championship game played at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy. Fremont From 1B when it mattered. Without our defense, we wouldn't be here. Parker Preator up top really figured it out and Gunner Burrell figured it out to get him the ball and got us to where we needed to be." The Silver Wolves marched into the title game with a 1-0 victory but fell by the same sword Thursday. "(The close games are) awful," Nielsen said. "We've happened to come out on the good end of all three of them so far until this one; we just didn't play our game until it was too late. Their goalie made some outstanding saves, their defense made outstanding plays. I have to credit them for the win, they won that game (for Riverton)." Fremont had chances, but never connected. The second half was better, Smith said, as the Silver Wolves fought desperately to punch in at least one goal to extend the game. "The first half, we weren't winning the ball out of the air. Usually when you win the ball out of the air. Usually when you win the ball out of the air, I think you have more enerby. The second half, we had opportunities, but we just couldn't finish. It just wasn't our day to finish." Even as the P.A. announcer counted down the final 10 seconds, Fremont was scrambling for the equalizer near the Riverton goal, but it only took one defender's kick to push it away and save the Silverwolves the trouble of overtime. "It's one of the worst feelings," Nielsen said. "You're so close, yet so far away. On the way here, it was so close we could almost taste it, but those last couple of seconds, it all became real that we couldn't finish it. I always feel helpless at that point." That won't be the lasting memory of the season, Smith says. Gathering his team at midfield to talk to them as Riverton celebrated on the other end, his coaching staff and players had a message for each other. "We said, hey, we're family, we're family for life," Smith said. "We're proud of the four years they put in. We love them and care for them and they're going to have memories of this. We're a dang good team. We're a dang good team, despite the 1-0 score." • SKYLINE 3, LOGAN 0: At Rio Tinto Stadium, the Grizzlies' shot at the state 4-A title was shot down by the Eagles. Skyline got all the offense it would need by scoring twice in the first half, then added one more goal for insurance in the second. Nate Jensen, Hunter Kone and Sheldon Mar- tineau each scored for the Eagles and Will DeSantis earned the shutout in goal for Skyline. The Grizzlies came up only one game short in coach Sven Rasmussen's first season. Contact reporter Roy Burton at rburton@stan- dard.net. Follow him on Twitter at ©RoyBurtonSE.