10 things to watch in Utah girls soccer playoffs

Many intriguing stories are waiting to be told when all four UHSAA girls soccer tournaments get underway this week. Can Lone Peak complete a perfect season? Will Skyline finally break through and claim a state title? These are just a couple of the questions waiting to be answered this week.

View the MaxPreps Utah girls soccer playoff brackets

Here are 10 things to watch in the 2014 Utah girls soccer playoffs:

1. Quest for soccer perfection



Lone Peak (Highland) has enjoyed a magical season up to this point. The Knights won all 16 regular season games and enter the Class 5A playoffs ranked No. 9 nationally in the MaxPreps Computer Rankings. Can the No. 1 seed seal the deal and win a state championship for the first time ever?

It won't be easy. Alta (Sandy) and Brighton (Salt Lake City) have combined to win nine out of the last 10 Class 5A titles. Both teams are looking as strong as ever after sharing the Region 3 title.

One thing that gives Lone Peak an edge is an awesome defense. The Knights have allowed just five goals all year and senior goalkeeper Cassidy Smith has a state-leading 12 shutouts in 16 games.

2. Third time the charm?

Skyline (Salt Lake City) has led a tortured existence in recent playoff appearances. The Eagles have reached the Class 4A title game twice in the last three seasons. Each time, Skyline has suffered a 1-0 loss to Timpanogos (Orem).

Will it all change in 2014? Skyline split the season series with the T-Wolves and finished a game back for the Region 7 title. But the Eagles have more than enough talent on both ends of the field to finally break through for their first state title since 2001. Holly Daugirda is averaging a goal per game and Hillary Weixler is a formidable goalkeeper.



3. Falcons soaring

Clearfield has experienced a soccer renaissance this season. The Falcons claimed the Region 6 title – their first region championship since 1991. Making the difference is a high-octane offense.

Through 16 games, Clearfield has outscored opponents 69-12. Brinley Adams and Afton Barlow have led the way in making the Falcon offense so potent. Adams has 23 goals to rank fifth in the state in goals scored. Barlow is tied for 10th with 18 goals.

4. Sting like a Wasp

Any Class 4A team that draws Wasatch (Heber City) will have a tough time figuring out how to score. That's because few teams have a goalkeeper who can consistently shut down opposing offenses the way that Torri Bills does.

Bills leads the state with 117 saves. With her in the net, Wasatch has only yielded an average of one goal per game. Her presence alone makes the Region 8 No. 2 seed a legit threat to contend for the Class 4A title.

5. 100 goal club

Only six Utah girls soccer players have tallied 100 or more goals in their high school careers. Ben Lomond (Ogden) standout Baylee Roche has a decent shot at becoming the seventh. Roche has scored 14 goals this season for the Scots and currently has 93 goals.



The odds are against Ben Lomond making a deep run in the Class 3A tournament. But if Roche can reach that 100 goal plateau, it could mean the Scots will have a realistic shot at claiming their first state title since 1998.

6. Flush with experience

Brighton (Salt Lake City) is not drawing the sort of attention you would expect for a defending state champion. The Bengals suffered a surprising late-season loss to archrival Alta and have operated in the shadows as Lone Peak stole the spotlight during an undefeated regular season.

It's a mistake to sleep on the Bengals. Brighton has won 13 of its last 14 games and returns nine starters from the squad that won the Class 5A crown last season.

7. Bonneville or Timpanogos?

Determining the Class 4A girls soccer champion the past few seasons has been a little bit like a two-team coin flip. Bonneville (Washington Terrace) and Timpanogos have reigned supreme. The Lakers and T-Wolves have alternated winning state titles with Bonneville winning in 2008, 2010 and 2012 and Timpanogos prevailing in 2009, 2011 and 2013.

Timpanogos could break the trend. The T-Wolves are in a strong position to repeat as champs with a balanced offense and strong defense. Six different Timpanogos players have scored five or more goals this season.



8. Top dog underdogs

Hillcrest (Midvale) looks like a dangerous team on paper. The Huskies have won 10 of their last 11 games, outscoring opposing teams 32-6 in that stretch. They went undefeated and untied in Region 2 for the second-consecutive season and once again earned a No. 1 seed.

Appearances can be deceiving. Granger (West Valley City) is the only other team in Hillcrest's region that posted a winning record. The Huskies posted a winless record in six non-region games and feel like an underdog despite their lofty seed.

9. Title game fixture

Death and taxes are not the only absolutes. Waterford (Sandy) playing in the Class 2A title game is usually a safe bet. The Ravens have won a championship or finished second all previous six seasons they have competed in Class 2A. Waterford has won five state titles overall in the past eight seasons.

The Ravens are a strong favorite to finish on top yet again in 2014. Waterford has lost just once this season – to archrival Rowland Hall-St. Marks (Salt Lake City).



10. Dangerous Hawks

Seeing Alta finish on top once again would not be a surprising outcome. The Hawks know how to get it done in the playoffs. They have a history of postseason success that would make any team envious. Since 1999, Alta has won eight state titles – the most of any Utah girls soccer team.

Alta has the talent in place to do it again. The Hawks have a balanced offense led by Sadie Mertlich, Amber Tripp and Whitney Paskins, who have averaged 3.4 goals per game in region play. Defensively, the Hawks have allowed just 13 goals this season and goalkeeper Isabel Jones has earned 10 shutouts.

John Coon covers Utah high school sports for MaxPreps. You can contact him at john_coon@hotmail.com and follow him on Twitter at @johncoonsports