When you compare the numbers side by side, it's astounding how statistically similar Alta and Viewmont have been this season.

Both have scored more than 100 goals. Both have allowed fewer than 10 goals all season. Even in ESPN's national high school soccer rankings the two are neck and neck: Viewmont sits at No. 23, while Alta is No. 24.

The biggest difference is when these two teams played on Aug. 15 this year, the Vikings came out on top, 3-2 in double overtime. And maybe that doesn't mean as much as it might appear when the teams have a rematch Friday night at Rio Tinto Stadium for the Class 5A championship.

"Obviously, you look back at that game and it was early in the season when everyone is still figuring things out," Viewmont coach Eric Landon says. "We're not saying we beat them in preseason, we're going to beat them again. It's going to be very, very tight."

Expect a special game when these two teams meet. The Hawks have set a state record in shutouts this year and are hoping for one more. But their offense, led by seniors Michele Murphy and Lexe Selman, has been the most potent in the state this year.

Coach Lee Mitchell says the Viewmont game represented a turning point in Alta's season, when the players realized they couldn't beat a team of that caliber without each other.

"They learned that they needed to be a team to reach their potential — everyone from the most experienced seniors to the even the lowly freshmen," Mitchell says. "They've done a good job of knowing each other and playing as a team."

Since that game, Alta has only allowed one goal —to Copper Hills — and played with a fearsome streak of high-goal games. The Hawks traveled to California to beat Montgomery, a team that had not lost at home in nearly a decade. Between the team's performance this season and its unmatchable tradition — it's won seven of the last 11 Class 5A titles — it's almost enough to push the odds in Alta's favor.

But wait: Viewmont has something to say about that. Besides beating the Hawks this year, the Vikings have been a high-powered offense themselves. Ripping through Region 2, Viewmont won all but four region games by the eight-goal mercy rule.

The Vikings also went to last year's playoffs, where a combination of shutout defense and a resilient forward in Ali Forsberg led them to the finals. They lost to Brighton, but they return a more experienced and balanced team. Three players have 16 or more goals, and the defense has picked up 13 shutouts.

"There was a time when I thought if we didn't a goal from Ali Forsberg, we were in trouble," Landon says. "We knew Ali would be a focal point for other defenses, but other kids have been scoring goals for us. It's creating a lot of problems up front because teams can't just double up on her. Other players will step up."

The Class 4A championship doesn't have the hype or national prominence of the evening game, but it should be equally compelling. Two stout defenses will tangle for a championship, as Skyline and Timpanogos clash at 4:30 p.m.

The Timberwolves are back in the tournament for the third straight year, so the upperclassmen know what they're up against. But the story of Timpanogos this year has been how the team has incorporated youth into its starting lineup. Freshman Jordyn Chung-Hoon, for example, leads the team in scoring.

The inexperience has admittedly led to some unexpectedly close games — the Timberwolves have played in seven double-overtime games this year, going 4-1-2 in those contests. But coach Natalyn Lewis says her team is the better for it. The best example might be against East in the semis, when the Leopard were assailing them in the second half but Timpanogos still came up with a game-winner.

"We've told our girls we have to create our own luck," Lewis says. "We can't just work hard when we need something to happen. If we work hard the whole game, those opportunities will come. And we've been in so many close games, it's definitely helped us learn that lesson."

Skyline is relatively new to this stage compared to the field, but it's hard to argue with the results the team has produced leading into the finals. The Eagles knocked off two of the top contenders for the Class 4A title in Bountiful and defending champ Bonneville on their path to Rio Tinto.

Their fate lies much in the hands of two juniors. Striker Ashley Aberton is pint-sized but deadly near the goal: She's scored in 15 games this year and been the go-to player for Skyline when they're down. But goalkeeper Alli Spencer has also shown tremendous play under pressure, making four saves against Bountiful in a shootout and then taking the game-winning penalty kick.

Scoring has admittedly been a struggle for this team, but coach Yamil Castillo says the Eagles have become more comfortable in adverse situations as the year has gone on.

"Defense wins championships, but the team has struggled with capitalizing on those opportunistic scores," Castillo says. "They kind of took on the pressure too much, but now we are finishing. Sure, we'll be nervous and there will be butterflies. But if we overcome it, we will finish on top."

kgoon@sltrib.com

Twitter: @kylegoon —

Class 4A/5A soccer finals

P At Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy

• Timpanogos (16-1-2) vs. Skyline (16-3), 4:30 p.m.

• Alta (18-1) vs. Viewmont (18-1), 7 p.m.

• Tickets available at riotintostadium.com or box office. Students $4, Adults $6