It’s not unheard of for a struggling team to suddenly catch fire in the playoffs and surprise some opponents. The Farmington girls soccer team is hoping it can do just that. 

The Phoenix had some setbacks this season, as a rebuilding squad went 8-8 overall in the regular season and 4-6 in Region 1, finishing in fourth place. Last season, Farmington won the region and advanced to the Class 6A state title game before falling to league rival Davis. This season, replacing some key players from that runner-up team, the Phoenix have had some struggles. 

But the postseason offers relief. 

The state tournament is where unheralded teams sometimes make unexpected runs. The Phoenix have shown signs this season of being able to play with the best. Farmington took undefeated and region champion Davis down to the wire in the regular season finale, losing 2-1 on Sept. 28. In that contest, Davis was up 2-0 at halftime, but Farmington held the Darts scoreless in the second half and got a goal from Brynlee Austin after the break. In the other meeting between the two teams, on Sept. 12, Farmington played admirably in a 2-0 defeat. Farmington also got the best of second-place Layton on Sept. 21, winning 1-0 on the strength of a goal from Macey Call on an assist from Brinley Mattson. Goalie Emmy McKeon got the shutout. 

Farmington registered 28 goals on the year, while giving up 23. The Phoenix also beat region foes Syracuse (in a shootout) and Fremont twice, once in a shootout and once by the score of 1-0. 

Ten Phoenix players scored goals this season, led by Call, the sophomore forward, who tallied seven on the season. Taytem Grant wasn’t far behind; the sophomore midfielder had six goals. Austin had four goals and a pair of assists. Grant and Claire Rencher were tops on the team in assists during the regular season with three apiece. A total of 12 players had assists for the unselfish Phoenix. McKeon had 2.5 shutouts, and backup goalie Isabelle Jones had 0.5 shutouts. 

Heading into the playoffs, Farmington had won two of its final three regular-season games. Before that, the team was on a rough patch of one win in six tries. The Phoenix secured the No. 10 seed in the state tournament, earning a first-round bye. The Phoenix opens with a familiar foe, Region 1 opponent Weber, in the second round on Oct. 10 on the road. λ