The 4A girls soccer state tournament gets underway on Tuesday with eight first-round games. Here’s a preview of each of those games in what figures to be an exciting state tournament.
No. 16 Provo at No. 1 Park City
Park City’s quest for its first state championship since 2005 begins Tuesday with what might be the most lopsided seeding disparity in the 4A bracket, as the top-seeded Miners welcome No. 16 Provo in the opening round.
Park City (17-1) has been utterly dominant this season, running through Region 10 with a perfect 12-0 record while outscoring conference opponents 76-4. Fifth-year head coach Anthony DiCicco’s squad has been equally impressive overall, pouring in 93 goals (5.2 per game) while conceding just 11 (0.6 per game) — both marks among the best in any classification statewide. The Miners’ lone blemish was a 5-1 loss at 5A No. 3 Olympus on Aug. 11, the only time all season a team has scored more than once against them.
Park City’s attack borders on absurd in its depth. Elsa Dellenbach leads the way with 16 goals and 12 assists, while Ashtyn Holder (11 goals, 10 assists) and Mallory Carter (11 goals, 10 assists) form an interchangeable trio of creators and finishers. Riley Reese (9 goals, 3 assists), Hailey Olsen (9 goals, 6 assists), Maddie McCallion (8 goals, 6 assists) and Reagan Bowers (8 goals, 3 assists) give the Miners seven players with eight or more goals — a staggering level of offensive balance. Goalkeeper Marley Filipppone has anchored the defense with 6.5 shutouts, with Brooklyn Mascardo adding 3.5.
The Miners signaled their intent from the season’s opening match, topping 6A No. 1 Lone Peak in a penalty shootout on Aug. 4 — a result that announced Park City as a legitimate contender across classifications. Last year, the Miners were the No. 5 seed and fell 2-0 to Mountain Crest in the quarterfinals, making the jump to No. 1 this season a significant step forward.
Provo (9-9) enters with a .500 record but has shown flashes of quality under first-year head coach Scott Crockett. The Bulldogs own an overtime victory over 5A No. 7 Timpview (3-2 on Aug. 14) and upset Region 8 co-champion Wasatch 2-1 on Sept. 10, proving they can compete with elite opposition when everything clicks. Three of Provo’s nine losses came in overtime or penalty shootouts, including a double-overtime heartbreaker to Mountain View (1-0).
Ellie Hostetter has been the focal point of Provo’s attack with nine goals and six assists, while Natalie Wakefield (7 goals, 1 assist) provides a capable secondary scorer. Veronica Medina and Brooke Huang have each chipped in five goals. Goalkeepers Annabel Ashton and Austyn McUne have split duties, combining for three shutouts, behind a defense that has conceded 1.4 goals per game.
The challenge for Provo is scale. The Bulldogs have averaged 2.1 goals per game — a respectable clip that would barely dent Park City’s defensive record. The Miners have conceded more than one goal just once all season and have posted shutouts in 11 of 18 matches. Provo will need its best defensive effort of the season and clinical finishing on the rare chances it creates to have any hope of advancing.
The winner advances to face either No. 8 Snow Canyon or No. 9 Desert Hills in the quarterfinals.
No. 9 Desert Hills at No. 8 Snow Canyon
Defending 4A state champion Snow Canyon will begin its title defense against a familiar foe — and recent postseason victim — when No. 9 Desert Hills makes the short trip down the hill to face the No. 8 Warriors in Tuesday’s first round.
These Region 9 rivals already know each other intimately. Snow Canyon swept both regular-season meetings by identical 2-0 scorelines — first at Desert Hills on Sept. 3, then at home on Sept. 29 — and eliminated the Thunder in last year’s state semifinals, prevailing 5-3 in a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw. Snow Canyon went on to claim the program’s first state title, rallying for a wild 3-3 draw with No. 1 Ridgeline in the championship before winning 5-4 on penalties.
But the defending champions enter this postseason in a dramatically different position. Last year’s No. 3 seed, Snow Canyon (11-5) is the No. 8 seed this time around — meaning the Warriors’ path to a repeat likely runs through No. 1 Park City in the quarterfinals. Fifth-year head coach Connor Brown’s squad also showed vulnerability during the second half of Region 9 play, dropping matches to Pine View (2-1) and Cedar (1-0) before closing strong with three consecutive victories, including a statement penalty-shootout win over No. 3 Crimson Cliffs on Oct. 1.
Lucy Lyon has been the Warriors’ offensive catalyst with 13 goals and seven assists, while Kate Dunkley (8 goals, 3 assists) and Scarlet Losee (4 goals, 3 assists) provide dangerous secondary options. Creator Eleanor Armour (7 assists) has been the primary playmaker, while goalkeeper Lucy Bacon has posted five shutouts behind a defense that has allowed 1.1 goals per game.
Desert Hills (11-6) enters with its own claim to quality under second-year head coach Whitley Bowler. The Thunder own arguably the Region 9 result of the season — a 1-0 victory over No. 3 seed Crimson Cliffs on Sept. 17, proof they can stifle an elite attack when the defensive effort is right. Desert Hills also beat Timpanogos in a penalty shootout during nonregion play and edged Cedar 2-1 in overtime.
The trouble for Desert Hills is recent form. The Thunder have lost two of their final three matches — including a 2-1 defeat to Cedar in the regular-season finale — and have been shut out four times this season, including both meetings with Snow Canyon. Izzy Miller leads the attack with six goals and one assist, while Harper Minefee (4 goals, 3 assists) and Caroline CJ Clark (4 goals, 3 assists) share the scoring load. Chloe Morris (3 goals, 5 assists) and Reese Dixon (1 goal, 4 assists) provide creativity from the midfield. Goalkeeper Ellee Staheli has recorded four shutouts.
Desert Hills has averaged 1.6 goals per game this season while conceding 1.2 — respectable numbers, but the Thunder haven’t found the net in 200 minutes against Snow Canyon this season. That drought stretches even further when including last year’s scoreless semifinal draw. If Desert Hills is to advance, it will need to solve a Warriors defense that has had its number for over a calendar year.
The winner advances to face No. 1 Park City in the quarterfinals.
No. 13 Cedar at No. 4 Ridgeline
Cedar makes the long trek north to Logan on Tuesday for a 4A first-round clash with No. 4 Ridgeline — a program still stinging from last year’s championship heartbreak. These teams haven’t met since a 2020 second-round playoff match that Ridgeline won 6-1, and the RiverHawks figure to be equally formidable this time around.
Ridgeline (14-3) co-claimed the Region 11 title with Green Canyon at 13-1 and enters as one of the favorites to capture the 4A crown under third-year head coach Richard Alexander. The RiverHawks were the No. 1 overall seed last year and reached the championship match, only to see Snow Canyon rally for a 3-3 draw and prevail 5-4 on penalties. That gut-wrenching loss has fueled a dominant 2026 campaign — Ridgeline has outscored opponents 79-17 (4.6 goals per game) and hasn’t lost since an early-season penalty shootout defeat to 5A No. 2 Maple Mountain on Aug. 11.
The RiverHawks boast arguably the most dangerous attack in the classification, headlined by four double-digit goal scorers. Samantha Brown (16 goals, 8 assists) and Reagan Brown (15 goals, 11 assists) form a lethal tandem, while Mya Vetica (11 goals, 6 assists) and Kemrie Grange (11 goals, 4 assists) give Ridgeline a four-pronged attack that few defenses can contain. Sierra Dean (6 goals, 7 assists) and Taylie Rigby (3 goals, 5 assists) add creative depth. Goalkeepers Skylie Folkman (4.5 shutouts) and Preslee Major (2 shutouts) have anchored a defense allowing just 1.0 goals per game.
Cedar (8-7) will be the underdog, but 31st-year head coach Scott Kamachi — one of the longest-tenured coaches in Utah high school soccer — has his Reds peaking at the right moment. Cedar closed the regular season by winning four of its final five matches, a surge that included a stunning 1-0 victory over defending state champion Snow Canyon on Sept. 24 and a 2-1 upset of No. 9 Desert Hills in the regular-season finale. The Reds’ only loss during that stretch was a 4-0 defeat to No. 3 Crimson Cliffs.
Kyla Johnson has carried the offensive load with 10 goals and one assist, while TynzLee Nielson (6 goals, 2 assists) and Taylor Schaible (3 goals) provide supporting options. Cedar has averaged 1.7 goals per game while conceding 1.5, relying on tight defensive organization rather than scoring volume. The Reds went 7-5 in a competitive Region 9, earning quality victories along the way.
The challenge for Cedar is bridging the gap in firepower. Ridgeline’s top four scorers have combined for 53 goals — more than double Cedar’s entire season output of 25. The Reds will need to replicate the defensive discipline that shut out Snow Canyon and lean on the big-game experience of a program that has been a consistent postseason participant under Kamachi’s lengthy tenure.
The winner advances to face either No. 5 Mountain View or No. 12 Uintah in the quarterfinals.
No. 12 Uintah at No. 5 Mountain View
Uintah already knows how difficult Tuesday’s 4A first-round assignment will be — the Utes haven’t scored against Mountain View in 180 minutes of soccer this season, falling 3-0 at Orem on Sept. 8 and 1-0 at Vernal on Oct. 1.
Mountain View (15-3) co-claimed the Region 8 championship with Wasatch at 12-2, and second-year head coach Spencer Steed’s Bruins have been one of the classification’s most well-rounded teams. The Bruins have outscored opponents 61-16 (3.4 goals per game, 0.9 against) behind a deep, balanced attack featuring four players with eight or more goals. Savannah Jett leads the way with 12 goals and one assist, while Cali Willis, Eden Peterson and Leah Olsen have each tallied eight goals. Peterson (4 assists) and Olsen (6 assists) add playmaking to their scoring, and Brielle Steed has been the team’s most prolific creator with six goals and a team-high 13 assists. Goalkeeper London Becker has posted five shutouts.
Mountain View’s three losses all came against quality — an overtime defeat to 5A No. 6 Pleasant Grove in the opener, a 2-1 setback to Region 8 rival Timpanogos, and a penalty-shootout loss to co-champion Wasatch. The Bruins avenged both region defeats in the return matches, beating Timpanogos 2-1 and edging Wasatch 2-1 in double overtime — a signature result against the team that shared the region title.
Last year, Mountain View reached the quarterfinals as the No. 9 seed before falling 3-0 to top-seeded Ridgeline. This year’s No. 5 seed and home-field advantage represent an upgrade.
Uintah (9-7-1) has been a tale of two extremes under fifth-year head coach James Glenn, who owns a 51-36 career record at the school. The Utes have been devastating against the bottom of the Region 8 table — outscoring Summit Academy 16-0, Deer Creek 6-3, and Orem 4-0 across four matches — but have gone winless against the conference’s top three of Mountain View, Wasatch and Timpanogos (0-5-0).
What Uintah does bring is an elite goalkeeper and a capable attack. Lily Hardy has been one of 4A’s best keepers with eight shutouts — more than any other stopper in Region 8 — while Izzie Lawson (10 goals, 3 assists) and Athena Oldham (9 goals, 4 assists) give the Utes a potent one-two punch up front. Lexi Perkins (6 goals, 3 assists), Aunika Gehring (6 goals) and Brooke Batty (5 goals, 5 assists) provide additional firepower for a team that has averaged 2.6 goals per game. The Utes were eliminated in last year’s second round, falling 2-1 to No. 6 Crimson Cliffs.
Uintah’s path to an upset runs through Hardy and a defensive approach that can keep Mountain View’s multi-faceted attack in check — something even Region 8’s best teams have struggled to do. The Utes have scored just two goals in their last four matches, a worrying trend against a Bruins defense that has already blanked them twice.
The winner advances to face either No. 4 Ridgeline or No. 13 Cedar in the quarterfinals.
No. 15 Stansbury at No. 2 Green Canyon
Stansbury already has two painful data points for what awaits in Logan on Tuesday — the Stallions were outscored 10-0 across two regular-season meetings with Green Canyon, falling 8-0 on Sept. 2 and 2-0 on Oct. 1.
Green Canyon (17-1) has been the most dominant team in 4A — and arguably any classification — this season, posting a 13-1 Region 11 record while outscoring opponents a staggering 112-7 (6.2 goals per game, 0.4 against). Fifth-year head coach Kirt Sadler, who owns an 81-17 career mark and led the Wolves to the 2023 state championship, has assembled a squad with virtually no weaknesses. Green Canyon opened the season by blanking 6A defending champion Syracuse 5-0 and 6A No. 1 Lone Peak 3-0 back-to-back — a nonregion statement that resonated across the state.
The engine behind it all is Chloe Sadler, who is putting together one of the most remarkable individual seasons in Utah high school soccer history. The forward has tallied 27 goals and an eye-popping 32 assists — 59 direct goal contributions in 17 matches. She is flanked by Jaycee Knight (17 goals, 7 assists) and Eva Israelsen (17 goals, 8 assists), who give Green Canyon three players with 17 or more goals. Autumn Howell (11 goals), Collins Webb (10 goals, 7 assists) and playmaker Kloey Tensmeyer (8 goals, 17 assists) provide a second wave that would anchor most programs’ attacks on its own. Goalkeepers Olivia Allen and Britt Maw have each posted six shutouts, combining for 12 clean sheets.
Green Canyon’s lone loss came at Ridgeline on Sept. 21, a 3-2 defeat to the region co-champion. Last year, the Wolves were bounced in the quarterfinals as the No. 2 seed, falling 2-1 to Desert Hills — a result that undoubtedly fuels their October ambitions.
Stansbury (10-7-1) has had a solid season under eighth-year head coach Spencer Call, finishing fifth in Region 11 with a 7-7 mark. The Stallions showed well during a three-game Nevada road trip, going unbeaten with victories over Spanish Springs and Bishop Manogue, and have been at their best against the region’s bottom half — outscoring Deseret Peak, Tooele and Bear River by a combined 41-4.
Makell Proctor has been the offensive catalyst with 16 goals and eight assists, while Winnie Carpenter (9 goals, 7 assists) and creative force Jojo Sartori (4 goals, 14 assists) give the Stallions playmaking punch. Bridget Robertson and Kaylia Loertscher have each contributed eight goals. Goalkeeper Evie Gibbons has recorded four shutouts.
But Stansbury’s struggles against the region’s elite tell the story. The Stallions went 0-4 against Green Canyon and Ridgeline, being outscored 19-1, and dropped both matches to Sky View. Reversing that trend against the classification’s most prolific attack would require a historic defensive performance — one that overcomes a 10-goal deficit across 160 previous minutes against the Wolves this season.
The winner advances to face either No. 7 East or No. 10 Judge Memorial in the quarterfinals.
No. 10 Judge Memorial at No. 7 East
Separated by just a few blocks in Salt Lake City, Region 10 neighbors Judge Memorial and East will add a postseason chapter to their rivalry Tuesday — though the Leopards have controlled this matchup all season, blanking the Bulldogs 2-0 in both regular-season meetings.
East (15-3) has been one of 4A’s most dominant teams, finishing second in Region 10 with an 11-2 record behind only unbeaten Park City. Ninth-year head coach Javier Viana’s Leopards have been a scoring machine, pouring in 76 goals (4.2 per game) while conceding just 14 (0.8 per game) — posting shutouts in 10 of their 18 matches behind the outstanding goalkeeper Maizey Miller.
The Leopards’ attack features a dazzling array of contributors. Mable Meinhardt has been the headliner with 19 goals and 11 assists, while Lucy Bergstedt (11 goals, 4 assists) gives East a potent second option. Benny Rimando (7 goals, 3 assists), Olivia Anderson (6 goals, 5 assists) and Nellie Pearce (5 goals) add further depth, but the engine that makes it all run may be Hattie Wolfgramm — who has tallied three goals and a remarkable 15 assists, orchestrating from midfield. Delaney Snow (4 goals, 9 assists) provides another creative outlet. East’s only losses this season have come to 5A No. 1 Bountiful (4-0) and twice to Region 10 champion Park City (4-1, 2-0).
East was eliminated in last year’s second round, falling 2-0 to Desert Hills. The Leopards will be eager to push past the quarterfinal stage for the first time under Viana.
Judge Memorial (9-5) has played just 14 matches — four fewer than East — but what the Bulldogs have lacked in volume, they’ve made up in individual brilliance. Lily Wikstrom has been one of the most prolific scorers in any classification, netting 22 goals and five assists in just 14 games — a staggering 1.6 goals per match. Emily Christensen (7 goals, 3 assists) and Chloe Gardner (6 goals, 7 assists) have provided capable secondary options, while Aliyah Salinas (1 goal, 6 assists) and Sofia Delpouys (2 goals, 4 assists) distribute from deeper positions. Goalkeeper Mady Burns has posted five shutouts.
Fourth-year head coach Emily Garcia’s Bulldogs went 6-4 in Region 10 and have been potent offensively, averaging 3.8 goals per game — but they’ve also conceded 1.9. Judge’s defense will need a dramatic improvement from the unit that shipped seven goals to Park City and four to Jordan in region play if the Bulldogs hope to contain East’s deep attack.
The central question is whether Wikstrom’s individual brilliance can overcome East’s collective dominance. The Leopards held the prolific forward scoreless across both regular-season meetings while limiting Judge to zero total goals. For the Bulldogs to pull the upset, they’ll need to find a way to unlock Miller’s goal — something no team outside of Bountiful and Park City has managed more than once this season.
The winner advances to face either No. 2 Green Canyon or No. 15 Stansbury in the quarterfinals.
No. 14 Mountain Crest at No. 3 Crimson Cliffs
It’s an all-Mustangs affair Tuesday when Mountain Crest makes the long trek to southern Utah to face No. 3 Crimson Cliffs in a 4A first-round clash — a rematch of a memorable 2023 second-round playoff meeting that Crimson Cliffs won 3-2 in double overtime.
Crimson Cliffs (14-3) has been virtually impenetrable this season under sixth-year head coach Kat Esplin. The Mustangs claimed the Region 9 title with a 10-2 mark, and their defensive numbers are staggering — just seven goals allowed all season (0.4 per game), backstopped by goalkeeper Kennedy Madsen’s 10 shutouts. Crimson Cliffs has conceded more than one goal just once all year — a penalty-shootout loss to defending champion Snow Canyon on Oct. 1 in the regular-season finale that snapped a nine-game winning streak.
The attack runs through Macey Woolley, who has been one of the most dominant players in any classification with 22 goals and 10 assists. The forward — following in the footsteps of sister Marissa Woolley, who scored in that 2023 playoff win over Mountain Crest — has accounted for half of Crimson Cliffs’ 44 goals this season. Emmie Gardner and Jayda Alofipo have each chipped in five goals, while Ava Garrett (1 goal, 5 assists) provides creative spark. Crimson Cliffs opened the season with an impressive nonregion stretch that included a 1-0 win over 6A No. 3 Farmington, a 5-1 rout of 6A No. 1 Lone Peak, and a 2-1 overtime victory over 5A No. 8 Bonneville.
Mountain Crest (11-7) finished third in Region 11 with a 9-5 conference record and features an offense that can score in bunches. Fifth-year head coach Justin Beus’ Mustangs boast three double-digit goal scorers — Madison Verhoef (17 goals, 5 assists), Summer Nielsen (15 goals, 3 assists) and Jaidyn Stewart (11 goals, 7 assists) — a trio that has combined for 43 goals, nearly matching Crimson Cliffs’ entire team output. Adalyn Crystal (1 goal, 5 assists) and Avery Chambers (2 goals, 4 assists) add creative depth, while goalkeeper Liv Jensen has recorded seven shutouts.
The challenge for Mountain Crest is bridging the gap between its production against the bottom of Region 11 — outscoring Tooele, Deseret Peak and Bear River by a combined 40-2 — and its results against the conference elite. The Mustangs went 0-4 against Green Canyon and Ridgeline, scoring just three goals in those matches, and the trend continued in nonregion play with losses to Box Elder (5-0) and 6A Corner Canyon (2-1).
Mountain Crest has the firepower to make this competitive if Verhoef, Nielsen and Stewart are clicking, but solving a Crimson Cliffs defense that has shut out 10 opponents and held 6A Lone Peak scoreless for 80 minutes requires a level of finishing precision the Mustangs haven’t consistently shown against upper-tier opposition.
The winner advances to face either No. 6 Wasatch or No. 11 Timpanogos in the quarterfinals.
No. 11 Timpanogos at No. 6 Wasatch
Timpanogos will be looking for a different outcome in its third meeting of the season with Region 8 co-champion Wasatch on Tuesday, but the Timberwolves have reason for optimism — the margin between these teams shrank dramatically from the first meeting to the second.
Wasatch (14-4) cruised to a 4-0 victory when the teams met at Heber City on Aug. 27, but the rematch at Timpanogos on Sept. 22 was a different story entirely, with the Wasps needing a 3-2 victory to escape with the sweep. Fifth-year head coach Tara Lundberg’s squad co-claimed the Region 8 title with Mountain View at 12-2, and the Wasps have been one of 4A’s most well-rounded teams — outscoring opponents 55-15 (3.1 goals per game, 0.8 against) behind one of the classification’s deepest attacks.
Savanna Hulme has paced the offense with 14 goals and six assists, while Annie Wright (9 goals, 8 assists) and Kennedi Hunt (9 goals, 9 assists) form a dynamic trio that has combined for 32 goals and 23 assists. Addie Nygren (5 goals, 4 assists) and Mia Longenecker (5 goals, 3 assists) give Wasatch five players with five or more goals, and playmaker Jacie Lundberg has contributed a team-high eight assists from deeper positions. Goalkeeper Jade Pearson has been outstanding with eight shutouts — the most by any Region 8 keeper.
Wasatch was eliminated in last year’s 5A second round as the No. 12 seed, falling 1-0 to Timpview. The move to 4A has been a comfortable fit, with the Wasps losing only to Park City (2-1), Springville (1-0), Mountain View (2-1 in double overtime) and Provo (2-1).
Timpanogos (11-6) has proven it belongs among Region 8’s top tier under first-year head coach Natalyn Lewis, finishing third in the conference with a 10-4 record. The Timberwolves own a signature 2-1 victory over co-champion Mountain View on Aug. 25 — a result that neither Wasatch nor anyone else in the region replicated in regulation — and showed improvement against Wasatch in the closing weeks, cutting a four-goal deficit to one.
Maddi Searle has been the Timberwolves’ most complete player with eight goals and a team-high seven assists, while Havyn Carter (3 goals, 7 assists) has provided creativity throughout. Samantha Young (5 goals), Yuna Han (4 goals, 5 assists) and a cluster of players with three goals apiece — Ivy Warner, Ella Harris, Sitota Gundersen and Hadley Boyce — give Timpanogos balance if not a singular star. Goalkeepers Winnie Buffington (2.5 shutouts) and Alice McGrath have split time in net.
The Timberwolves have also shown mental toughness in tight games, winning a dramatic penalty shootout at Provo on Sept. 29 — prevailing 5-4 in PKs after a 1-1 draw — to close the regular season on a high. Four of Timpanogos’ six losses came by a single goal or in shootouts.
For Timpanogos, the blueprint is clear from the Sept. 22 rematch: disrupt Wasatch’s build-up early and make the Wasps uncomfortable. For Wasatch, the task is avoiding complacency against a familiar opponent that has steadily closed the gap throughout the season.
The winner advances to face either No. 3 Crimson Cliffs or No. 14 Mountain Crest in the quarterfinals.
This report was compiled with the assistance of ChatGPT.