High school girls soccer: 6A/5A/4A quarterfinals preview
6A Playoffs
Layton at Copper Hills
In the quarterfinal showdown of the girls’ 6A state soccer tournament, No. 6 seed Layton will travel to face No. 3 seed Copper Hills this Thursday at 4 p.m. Layton sports an overall season record of 10-6 with a goal differential of 34-21.
Meanwhile, Copper Hills boasts a more solid 14-3 overall record, outscoring their opposition 52-17 this season. The Lancers of Layton enter this match on the back of their recent 1-0 victory over Syracuse on Tuesday. Copper Hills, on the other hand, is also fresh off a similar 1-0 triumph against Lehi.
Noteworthy contributors for Layton include Jersee Clapier and Amelia Smith, who’ve each netted 9 and 8 goals respectively this season. On Copper Hills’ side, Brenna Arauzo and Camila Palafox are the key offensive threats, with 11 and 10 goals, respectively. Both teams fell short in last year’s playoffs, with Copper Hills seeing an exit in the second round at the hands of Davis and Layton knocked out in the quarterfinals by Lone Peak.
American Fork at Mountain Ridge
No. 4 seed Mountain Ridge Sentinels will host No. 5 seed American Fork Cavemen in the quarterfinals of the 6A state tournament. Mountain Ridge has had a solid season with a 13-4 record, powering in 46 goals while allowing only 20. Their top performer this season has been Jocelyn Wright, tallying a total of 15 goals and 3 assists.
American Fork has held a similar season with an 11-5 record, netting equal goals as the Sentinels but allowing one less. Lucy Kesler leading the team with her 15 goals and four assists. In their latest matches, Mountain Ridge extended its winning momentum by defeating Pleasant Grove 2-0, while American Fork secured a win in a face-off with Riverton, ending 3-1 in Tuesday’s second-round games.
This will be the first meeting between Mountain Ridge and American Fork this season. Comparatively, during last year’s playoffs, American Fork faced a loss against Davis in the quarterfinals while Mountain Ridge was upset by No. 19 Fremont. The outcome of their respective games last year will surely play into the teams’ mindsets as they face each other in the quarterfinals this time.
Farmington at Lone Peak
No. 10 seed Farmington will be making a challenging trek to the No. 2 seed Lone Peak in a 6A quarterfinal game. Thursday’s match is a repeat of last year’s 6A semifinals, where Farmington beat Lone Peak 1-0 in an unexpected loss for the Knights. It was the only loss of the season for Lone Peak. Farmington, with an inconsistent 9-8 overall record, comes into the quarterfinals fresh off a second-round 3-0 triumph against Weber.
Lone Peak, on the other hand, boasting a 17-1 record, obliterated Salt Lake Academy 5-0 in its second-round game. Lone Peak has exhibited a remarkable offensive prowess this season with a total of 81 goals scored, averaging 4.5 goals per game, while its defense has rendered it nearly impenetrable with only eight goals conceded. Brooke Hendricks and Samantha Sellers lead Lone Peak with 17 and 12 goals, respectively.
Farmington, although not as explosive offensively, has managed to net 31 goals this season, while the defense has allowed 23 goals. Farmington’s leading scorers are Anndi Wright and Oaklee Stanford, both contributing 11 goals each. Last season saw Farmington lose the 6A championship to Davis in a tight 1-0 match, while Lone Peak fell to Farmington in the 6A semis. Davis will be hungry to redeem last year’s playoff loss.
Skyridge at Davis
The No. 8 seed Skyridge will travel to face the No. 1 seed Davis in a quarterfinal of the high school girls 6A state soccer tournament Thursday at 4 p.m. The two teams are no strangers to playing each other, as they faced off in last year’s 6A semifinals. Davis claimed a decisive 3-0 victory.
Entering the match, Skyridge boasts an overall record of 10-7 with a total of 52 goals scored and 29 conceded, while Davis has an impressive undefeated record of 16-0, scoring 51 times while allowing just 10 goals. In the second round, Skyridge got a win against Corner Canyon, 3-2, while Davis outperformed Herriman, 3-1.
Key players to watch from Skyridge include Rachel Boren and Kalena Bellini with 16 and 7 goals during the season, respectively. Davis’ Brooklyn Phongsavath and Sammy Maudsley have stood prominent with 8 and 7 goals. Given Davis’ championship in the previous season and their undefeated record, the Darts hope to win the back-to-back 6A state title.
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5A Playoffs
Spanish Fork at Brighton
No. 16 seed Spanish Fork Dons are fresh off a thrilling victory over defending state champion Skyline, and looking to keep the momentum going heading to face No. 8 seed Brighton in a 5A quarterfinal.
Spanish Fork enters this match with an overall season record of 8-9-1, boasting 24 goals scored while conceding 25. Brighton owns a 12-5-0 record, tallying 53 goals while allowing 20. Spanish Fork’s victory over Skyline was the shocker of the 5A playoffs, with Addi Rigrup and Kinsley Hicks, who has 3 goals this season, scoring in the double overtime win.
On the other hand, Brighton rolled in the previous round, ousting Kearns 5-0 with goals contributed by Isabella Dowdle, Nellie Brown, Shai Farrer, and Bailey Brown. Oakley Zenger and Analena Jacob lead Brighton with 11 and 10 goals respectively this season. Despite the teams’ different performances this season, the Dons have proven they can defy the odds. Brighton will look to capitalize on its stronger midfield to secure its spot in the semifinals.
Bountiful at Springville
The Class 5A state tournament continues with a much-anticipated quarterfinal clash between No. 5 Bountiful and No. 4 Springville on Thursday.
After both teams advanced in the second round, the Redhawks take their solid 13-4 record and powerful offense with a cumulative 59 goals on the road to meet Springville with an equally impressive 12-5 tally and 39 total goals. Bountiful, on the back of team standouts such as Caroline Hellewell with her 14 goals and 15 assists, and Belle Sorensen with 16 goals, seems geared up to keep the momentum from its recent second-round win against Roy, where its overturned a halftime deficit to win 4-2.
Springville is led by Mattie Neves having notched 21 season goals. In the second round after leading 2-0 at halftime, the Red Devils were eventually able to stifle a spirited comeback from Viewmont in the second-round for a final 4-2 win.
Maple Mountain at Clearfield
The No. 10 Maple Mountain Golden Eagles will travel to No. 2 seed Clearfield in the 5A quarterfinals this Thursday. The Golden Eagles have an overall record of 11-6, fresh off a comeback victory against Timpview in the second round earlier this week.
Ruth Swain and Arie Bunce’s second half performance erased a two-goal deficit, and Kate Yeates netted the winner in overtime on Mika Krommenhoek’s third assist of the game. With a total of 30 goals scored and 24 conceded this year, Maple Mountain’s defense will need to be on high alert against Clearfield’s potent attack.
Clearfield dominated Alta 6-1 in its second round game, with Erin Cate bagging a brace, and additional goals by Tatum Thomas, Addie Mosley, Claire Hadley and top-scorer Cassidy Andrews. Clearfield has scored a total of 40 goals this season compared to only 19 conceded, reflecting a commendable offensive and defensive balance.
Olympus at Wasatch
The Class 5A state tournament moves into its quarterfinal stage on Thursday, as No. 6 seed Olympus (12-5) travels to the home ground of the No. 3 seeded Wasatch (12-5).
The teams advanced through the second round with Olympus registering a 2-0 victory over East, and Wasatch pulling through with a 3-1 win against Woods Cross. This season, Olympus has scored 55 goals while conceding only 22. Wasatch has played in much tighter games all season with 38 goals scored and 27 let in.
These team did meet earlier this year with Olympus securing a 5-2 victory back in August. Olympus will hope for Hope Munson and Ella Schujter, who combined to effectively dismantle East in the second round, to come up strong against Wasatch. Meanwhile, Wasatch will rely on its dynamic duo of Brigitte Ferreyra and Ellie Karl, who were instrumental in their second-round win against Woods Cross.
4A Playoffs
Timpanogos at Ridgeline
No. 5 seed Timpanogos is set to clash with No. 4 seed Ridgeline in an intriguing 4A quarterfinal on Thursday. Timpanogos, armed with a record of 13-3, has scored 39 goals this season. It enters the quarterfinals buoyed by an impressive 4-0 victory over No. 12 seed Uintah in the second round.
On the other hand, Ridgeline will play on its home turf coming in with a record of 14-4, having notched 34 goals while conceding 20. In the second round it earned a 3-1 victory over No. 13 seed Logan. However, the Riverhawks still hold the memory of a 4-1 defeat to Timpanogos from the season opener in August.
Nevertheless, with standout players like Taylor Miller with five goals and five assists, and Lily Loyet with five shutouts, they are not to be underestimated.
Mountain View at Stansbury
The No. 7 Mountain View Bruins will travel to No. 2 Stansbury Stallions for the 4A quarterfinals on Thursday. The Bruins have had an impressive run this season, with an overall record of 13-4 with 56 goals scored and only 10 conceded.
They’re entering the quarterfinals fresh off a strong 5-0 second round victory against Murray, where Kate Shirts led the charge with three goals and two assists. Stansbury has been equally as dominant this season with a 16-2 record this season, with 70 goals scored and 10 allowed.
The Stallions rode into the quarterfinals after a close 1-0 second round win over Sky View, with Jojo Sartori scoring the crucial goal, assisted by Emie Major. Made possible by Isabelle Bramble, Ashley Hamblin and Bailey Peterson’s strong contributions, with Peterson having 13 goals under her belt, the Bruins aim to overpower the Stallions led by top goal scorer Gracee Alders, who has netted an impressive 27 goals this season.
Snow Canyon at Park City
In a highly anticipated Class 4A quarterfinal game, No. 11 Snow Canyon will challenge No. 3 Park City on Thursday. Both teams enter the playoff with impressive records. The Park City Miners boast an overall record of 15-2, with a 68 goals scored and only 21 conceded this year.
The Snow Canyon Warriors (13-5) also have a great attack with 82 goals scored and just 21 allowed as well. In the second round earlier this week, Park City beat Cedar 3-1 with goals from Sophia Thimm, Hailey Olsen and Abby Hanton.
Meanwhile, Snow Canyon posted a great 2-0 win over Desert Hills, aided by the coordinated teamwork of Lottie Smith and Lilly Wittwer. This will be the first confrontation between the two teams since Snow Canyon bested Park City in the 3A state championship back in 2012.
Crimson Cliffs at Green Canyon
No. 1 seed Green Canyon, after a spectacular regular season, is looking to extend its domination into the quarterfinals of the 4A state tournament on Thursday as the Wolves (16-1) host No. 8 seed Crimson Cliffs.
Coming off a strong 3-0 victory over Provo in the second round, the Wolves have been great all season netting 48 goals while allowing just 10. Star players like Austin Miller and Capriel Winder have led the charge, combining for 22 goals over the season.
Crimson Cliffs, however, won’t be easy prey. It enters with a strong 13-4 record and a balanced attack, most notably from players like Isabella Cotter and Quinci Smith, who have together added 16 goals to the Mustangs’ 33-goal tally.
This report was compiled with the assistance of ChatGPT.
