Girls soccer playoffs: Darts take second in state; Redhawks lose in semifinals
Oct 31, 2024 02:07PM ● By Josh McFadden
Bountiful’s #11 Liv Roberts scores a header goal during a game against Springville. Photo by Carl Page.
At the end of the season in Utah high school sports, only one team per classification can be called state champions. Davis and Bountiful nearly reached this pinnacle in girls soccer.
In the Class 6A state championship game, held Oct. 25 at Zions Bank Stadium in Sandy, Davis fell to undefeated Lone Peak 2-0. Meanwhile, three days earlier in the 5A semifinals, Bountiful lost to Olympus. Both the Darts and Redhawks finished their successful seasons with just four losses.
Davis
Heading into the title match, Davis players and coaches knew they had their work cut out for them. Lone Peak entered the game with a glossy 19-0 record, having allowed just seven goals all season while scoring 101. The Darts were on a roll, however. Davis was coming off an impressive 5-0 shutout of Region 2 champion Mountain Ridge in the semifinals and was riding a 10-game winning streak.
All good things come to an end.
The Darts found out what 19 other opponents discovered against Lone Peak: the Knights are difficult to score against. Still, Davis played tough and went toe to toe with the Region 4 champions. By halftime, neither team had scored.
Early in the second half, Lone Peak scored what amounted to the game-winning goal. The Darts couldn’t match it and surrendered a second goal in the final moments. Though the loss was heartbreaking, Davis has a lot to be happy with.
On the season, Davis went 17-4 and won Region 1. The team ended the season outscoring opponents 68-21 and got goals from 13 different players. Senior midfielder Simone Packer led the way with one of the best goal totals in the state: 24. She also added four assists this season. Kate Willard, a sophomore standout, was second on the team with 10 goals, while senior midfielder Brooklyn Phongsavath was third on the team with seven goals and first with 11 assists. Sophomores Courtney Burbidge and Samantha Maudsley both finished with three goals and seven assists. Reial Phongsavath, just a freshman, added five goals and four assists. Goalkeeper Lexi Lund left her mark this season. The senior tallied 9.75 shutouts.
The Darts have some key players to replace for 2025. Still, with Willard, Burbidge, Maudsley and Reial Phongsavath returning, Davis could be a contender once again. The team will also welcome back other contributors Junior T’Maea Eteuati (three goals and an assist this season), sophomore Vivian Fries (three goals), sophomore Avery Johnson (two goals and an assist), junior Lydia Neville (three goals) and sophomore Marli Francis (one goal and two assists) who are among the underclassmen who could take on bigger roles next year.
Davis’ trip to the state championship was its four title-game appearance in the last six season. The Darts were runners-up in 2019 and won the championship in 2020 and 2022. The school has one of the top programs in Utah high school girls soccer, having won six state titles. Davis also captured state crowns in 1995, 2014, 2015 and 2016.
The Davis girls soccer team with its Region trophy. The team made it all the way to the state final championship game but lost to Lone Peak. Photo by Dillon Richens.
Bountiful
The Redhawks also faced a tall order in the state tournament.
After capturing the Region 5 crown with a 12-2 record, Bountiful advanced to the state semifinals on Oct. 22 with a pair of wins. That pitted the Redhawks against co-Region 6 champion Olympus, which had only lost once in 18 games coming into the matchup. Much like Lone Peak, Olympus played stellar defense and had a prolific offense.
Bountiful saw those traits on display firsthand.
Bountiful lost 3-0 after falling behind 1-0 in the first seven minutes. Olympus was up by that same score until 15 minutes into the second half when it added another goal. A third goal with about 15 to play shut the door on Bountiful’s bid for a trip to the 5A state title game. Olympus then won the 5A championship in a shootout over Brighton three days later.
The Redhawks finished the season with a 16-4 record.
Throughout the season, the talented duo of Belle Sorensen and Myka Page led the team. Sorensen totaled 24 goals and nine assists, while Page racked up 20 goals and 14 assists. The bad news for future Bountiful opponents: both players will be back in 2025. Sorensen is a junior and Page is only a sophomore, so their presence next season could push the Redhawks back into contention for a state crown. Third-leading scorer Izzy Hill, a junior, will also have eligibility to return, as will junior Alivia Roberts (five goals and an assist his season) and sophomore Emmy Sorenson (three goals and 11 assists). Freshman Jane Hellewell is another player to keep an eye on. She was fourth on the team this season with six assists.
Longtime head coach Lou Plank, who just finished his 20th season with the program, won a career-high games this year. He says goodbye to a strong group of seniors, including goalkeeper Eliza Naegle, who had six shutouts this season, and Sophie Winzeler, who scored four goals and had seven assists.
Bountiful’s 16 victories were the school’s most since going 18-1 and winning the Class 4A state championship in 2003. Its four defeats this season were the fewest since going 12-4 in 2013. The Redhawks were also ever-so-close to winning the state title a year ago but fell in the finals to Maple Mountain in a shootout. Bountiful has claimed four state championships (three since 2000) in its history, the last coming in 2006. λ