6A semifinals
No. 4 American Fork vs. No. 1 Lone Peak
American Fork hasn’t beaten Lone Peak since a 3-1 victory in September 2020 — a drought spanning 14 consecutive meetings — but the No. 4 seed Cavemen arrive at Zions Bank Stadium Monday at Noon with the kind of defensive form that could make this Region 3 rivalry’s latest chapter far more interesting than recent history suggests.
No. 1 seed Lone Peak (16-3) looked like a different team in the quarterfinals than it did in the opening round. After needing a penalty shootout to survive No. 16 Skyridge, the Knights responded with a dominant 4-0 dismantling of No. 8 Layton — a giant-killer that had toppled defending champion Syracuse twice and No. 3 Farmington during the regular season. Sadie Stratton (7 goals, 4 assists) scored twice in the quarterfinal rout, while Londyn Thomsen and Ava Scoville added goals. Goalkeeper Scotlyn Schlosser posted her fourth shutout of the season.
Ninth-year head coach Shantel Jolley’s squad has now outscored opponents 47-20 this season and boasts one of 6A’s deepest attacks, with seven players recording at least five goals. Sasha Castro (8 goals, 1 assist) leads the scoring charts, while Macie Leavitt (5 goals, 9 assists) remains the primary creator and Katherine Mason (5 goals, 5 assists) provides two-way contributions. Lone Peak ran through Region 3 at a perfect 8-0 and is chasing a return to the championship match after last year’s title-game loss to Syracuse.
The Knights won both regular-season meetings with American Fork this year — a 6-0 blowout on Sept. 10 and a tighter 1-0 result on Sept. 29 — and the trajectory of those matches may offer the Cavemen hope. The defensive improvement from the first meeting to the second was dramatic, and No. 4 seed American Fork (12-6) has only continued to sharpen at the back since then.
Second-year head coach Tara Warner’s Cavemen have posted back-to-back shutouts in the postseason — edging No. 13 Riverton 1-0 in the first round on Eva Gunn’s goal before blanking No. 5 Corner Canyon 2-0 in the quarterfinals behind a Cambree Ballard brace. Ballard (9 goals, 6 assists) has been the Cavemen’s most important player, scoring three of American Fork’s four playoff goals. Goalkeeper Sofia Crowley has posted three shutouts, and the defense hasn’t conceded a goal in 270 minutes of postseason play.
The transformation is striking for a team that went 3-5 in Region 3 and was shut out five times in eight conference matches. American Fork’s nonregion victories over No. 7 Syracuse (3-1) and No. 9 Mountain Ridge (3-2) hinted at the team’s potential, and that early-season quality has resurfaced when it matters most. Suri Parsia (5 goals, 3 assists), Ivy Jacobson (3 goals, 3 assists) and Claira Connors (3 goals, 2 assists) provide supporting options behind Ballard.
Still, the challenge is immense. Lone Peak has won 14 consecutive matches in this rivalry and has outscored American Fork 7-0 across two meetings this season. The Cavemen averaged just 1.4 goals per game overall — a number that will need to improve against a defense that just blanked the classification’s most prolific giant-killer. For American Fork, extending its playoff shutout streak will be essential. The Cavemen can’t afford to trade goals with a Lone Peak attack this deep and this balanced.
The winner advances to the 6A championship on Oct. 22 to face either No. 2 Davis or No. 3 Farmington.
No. 3 Farmington vs. No. 2 Davis
The Region 1 rivalry that produced two of the season’s most entertaining matches gets a third chapter Monday at 2:15 p.m. — this time with a trip to the 6A championship on the line.
No. 3 seed Farmington (13-5) has owned the recent series, winning four of the last five meetings between the programs — including both regular-season clashes this year in high-scoring affairs. The Phoenix edged No. 2 seed Davis 3-2 at Davis on Sept. 17, then won 4-3 at Farmington in the regular-season finale on Oct. 6. But Davis leads the all-time series 9-5, and recent postseason history adds another layer: the Darts knocked Farmington out of last year’s quarterfinals 1-0 as the No. 11 seed, ending the Phoenix’s season on their home turf.
The question Monday is which version of Davis shows up — the team that went 4-4 in Region 1 and lost twice to Farmington, or the playoff juggernaut that has outscored opponents 10-0 in two postseason matches. No. 2 seed Davis (14-4) obliterated No. 15 Bingham 6-1 in the first round with Reial Phongsavath’s four-goal eruption, then dismantled defending champion Syracuse 4-0 in the quarterfinals — snapping a three-game losing streak against the Titans. Kate Willard (19 goals, 5 assists) scored twice in that quarterfinal rout and has been the tournament’s most dangerous forward, while Samantha Maudsley (14 goals, 3 assists) gives third-year head coach Dillon Richens’ squad a lethal secondary scorer. Avery Johnson (1 goal, 7 assists) has been the creative engine, and goalkeeper Jazmyn Booyse has posted three shutouts — including back-to-back clean sheets in the playoffs.
Davis has averaged 3.3 goals per game overall, but the two Farmington matches produced an entirely different dynamic — six combined Darts goals suggests the offense will have chances, but five combined goals conceded reveals a defensive vulnerability the Phoenix have exploited consistently.
No. 3 seed Farmington (13-5) has been the steadier side throughout 2026. Eighth-year head coach Sarah Beecher’s Phoenix claimed the Region 1 title at 6-2 and have won five consecutive matches — closing the regular season with three straight before adding playoff victories over No. 14 Weber (3-0) and No. 6 Lehi (2-1) in the quarterfinals. The Lehi win was particularly impressive, as Morgan Snell and Katie Bennett found the net while Oaklee Stanford provided two assists against one of 6A’s deepest attacks.
Stanford (13 goals, 8 assists) continues to be the Phoenix’s most important player, while Braelyn Perrero (5 goals, 4 assists) and Claire Goff (5 goals, 2 assists) provide capable secondary options. Bennett (3 goals, 2 assists) has emerged as a postseason contributor with goals in both playoff matches. Goalkeeper Abby Child has been outstanding with six shutouts, anchoring a defense that has allowed just 0.9 goals per game — though both Davis meetings produced three or more Darts goals, suggesting this matchup specifically unlocks something in Richens’ attack.
Farmington was eliminated in last year’s quarterfinals by this same Davis program, adding a revenge element for the Phoenix. But it’s Farmington that has won the last two meetings convincingly enough to enter as the side with the psychological edge in this rivalry.
The neutral-site setting at Zions Bank Stadium removes the home-field advantage that factored into both regular-season meetings. If the previous two clashes are any indication, Monday’s semifinal projects as another high-event, multi-goal affair — a stark contrast to the defensive chess matches elsewhere in the bracket. The team that finds the final goal in what figures to be another back-and-forth contest will advance to face either No. 1 Lone Peak or No. 4 American Fork for the 6A crown.
5A semifinals
No. 4 Brighton vs. No. 1 Bountiful
These Region 6 rivals split a pair of lopsided home victories during the regular season — No. 4 seed Brighton blanked No. 1 seed Bountiful 3-0 on Sept. 1, then the Redhawks returned the favor with a 4-0 rout at home on Sept. 24 — setting up a rubber match Tuesday at Zions Bank Stadium with a trip to the 5A championship on the line.
The neutral site removes the home-field advantage that proved decisive in both regular-season meetings, where the home team scored early and never looked back. The last time these programs met in the semifinals was 2023, when Bountiful won a 5-3 penalty shootout after a scoreless draw to advance to the championship match. In four meetings since becoming region rivals, Bountiful holds a 3-1 edge — but Brighton’s 3-0 victory in September showed the Bengals are capable of dismantling the defending champions when the setting is right.
No. 1 seed Bountiful (16-3) has been the 5A standard-bearer all season, and the Redhawks have looked increasingly sharp in October. Second-year head coach Kris Hamlet’s squad dispatched No. 16 Woods Cross 3-0 in the first round before shutting out No. 8 Bonneville 2-0 in the quarterfinals — a team that had conceded just eight goals all season. First Team All-State forward Myka Page scored in both matches and now has 29 goals and 13 assists on the season — 42 direct goal contributions that have made her the most dangerous player in any 5A bracket. Second Team All-State returner Jane Hellewell (12 goals, 6 assists) and Bella Morgan (10 goals, 9 assists) give Bountiful three double-digit goal scorers, while Emmy Sorensen (4 goals, 5 assists) and Sami Carter (2 goals, 4 assists) add depth. Goalkeeper Charli Castleberry has posted eight shutouts, including two in the playoffs.
Bountiful’s three losses all came against top-tier opposition — 6A No. 6 Lehi (5-1), 6A No. 8 Layton (3-2) and Brighton — the Redhawks’ lone region defeat. The 3-0 loss at Brighton was the only time all season Bountiful has been shut out, a result that will loom large in Tuesday’s preparation.
No. 4 seed Brighton (15-4) arrives with playoff credentials of its own and the kind of defensive backbone that can neutralize even the most prolific attacks. Seventh-year head coach Sara Cowley’s Bengals have allowed just 13 goals in 19 matches (0.7 per game), backstopped by goalkeeper Lilah Sligting’s 10.5 shutouts — including three consecutive clean sheets in the Bengals’ last three matches. Brighton blanked No. 13 Spanish Fork 3-0 in the first round, then edged No. 12 West Field 1-0 in the quarterfinals on Savannah Zenger’s goal — the second consecutive year Zenger has eliminated the Longhorns.
Ariana Milkota (17 goals, 4 assists) has been the Bengals’ offensive catalyst, while Zenger (9 goals, 7 assists) has proven to be a big-game performer. Kailee Deeds and Charlotte Jacobsen have added five goals apiece, with Addison Despain (3 goals, 5 assists) and Jacqueline Scott (2 goals, 5 assists) creating from midfield. Brighton has outscored opponents 56-13 on the season.
Brighton’s four losses reveal a clear pattern — the Bengals fell only to No. 1 Bountiful (4-0) and No. 15 Alta (2-1, 1-0) in region play. The two Alta defeats are curious blips, but the 4-0 loss to Bountiful at Heber City was Brighton’s most lopsided result of the season — suggesting the Redhawks figured out something the Bengals couldn’t answer in the return match.
Tuesday’s semifinal projects as a tactical chess match between Page’s relentless goal-scoring and Sligting’s shot-stopping. Both teams have posted shutouts against each other this season, meaning the first goal could be decisive. Brighton proved on Sept. 1 that it can suffocate Bountiful’s attack entirely; Bountiful proved three weeks later that it can overwhelm Brighton’s defense when clicking. The neutral-site setting strips away the home-field factor that defined both results, making this the most unpredictable match on the semifinal slate.
The winner advances to the 5A championship on Oct. 22 to face either No. 2 Maple Mountain or No. 3 Olympus.
No. 3 Olympus vs. No. 2 Maple Mountain
These programs have met exactly once before — a 2023 5A semifinal at this same venue that Maple Mountain won 2-1 on goals from Mika Krommenhoek and Hannah Bailey, denying Olympus a championship berth. Three years later, they’ll meet again Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. at Zions Bank Stadium with another trip to the 5A title match at stake, and both sides arrive with unfinished business from contrasting quarterfinal experiences.
No. 2 seed Maple Mountain (15-4) survived a tense quarterfinal against No. 10 Salem Hills, needing a penalty shootout to advance after playing to a 0-0 draw through regulation and overtime. Goalkeeper Quinlee Peterson was outstanding in the shutout, and the Golden Eagles prevailed 4-2 in PKs — but first-year head coach Brynlie Mellor’s squad was held without a goal for only the second time all season. The Region 7 champions ran through their conference at 11-1, and their 5-1 first-round demolition of Alta — with Hinckley Hassan and Haidyn Denton each scoring twice — looked more like the team that averaged 3.2 goals per game during the regular season.
Hassan (15 goals, 2 assists), Denton (10 goals, 1 assist) and Katie Austin (8 goals, 1 assist) give Maple Mountain a potent three-pronged attack, with Morgan Robinson (5 goals) and Piper Hoyt (4 goals) adding depth. The Golden Eagles have outscored opponents 61-29 on the season, though their defensive rate of 1.5 goals per game conceded is the most generous of any remaining 5A semifinalist. Maple Mountain’s four losses all came against quality — No. 1 Bountiful (7-4), 6A No. 2 Davis (4-3), 6A No. 1 Lone Peak (2-0), and No. 9 Springville (2-1).
No. 3 seed Olympus (14-4) arrives with the more polished quarterfinal showing — a 2-1 victory over No. 11 Viewmont in which Taylor Beck scored the decisive goal and Jade Cavazos also found the net. Seventh-year head coach Jamie Evans’ Titans have been the 5A bracket’s most balanced team, with nine players recording three or more goals and a defense conceding just 1.1 per game. Last year’s 5A runner-up — falling 2-1 to Bountiful in the championship — Olympus has the postseason pedigree and the returning all-state talent to make another title push.
First Team All-State forward Keira Bradley (8 goals, 9 assists) has been the Titans’ most complete player, while Annika Sperry (8 goals, 2 assists) and Mia Green (7 goals, 2 assists) share the scoring lead. Jade Cavazos (6 goals, 3 assists), First Team All-State defender Emma Peterson (5 goals, 1 assist) and Beck (4 goals, 3 assists) give Olympus threats from every area of the pitch. Goalkeeper Maddie Sharp has posted 3.5 shutouts, with Anna Alldredge adding 1.5. The Titans’ four losses all came against the top tier — No. 1 Bountiful (3-2, 4-0) and No. 4 Brighton (2-1 in OT, 2-1).
The matchup pits Maple Mountain’s volume scoring against Olympus’ defensive structure and depth. The Golden Eagles have scored five or more goals seven times this season but were blanked entirely by Salem Hills’ disciplined approach — a template Olympus has the personnel to replicate. The Titans’ concern is finishing. Olympus has generated enough chances to overwhelm most opponents, but Maple Mountain’s Peterson proved in the quarterfinals she’s capable of standing on her head when the moment demands it.
The 2023 semifinal proved Maple Mountain isn’t intimidated by Olympus in an elimination setting. Whether that single data point carries weight three years later is debatable — but what’s clear is that both sides have the talent, the coaching, and the postseason experience to advance. The team that balances offensive ambition with defensive discipline will punch its ticket to the championship.
The winner advances to the 5A championship on Oct. 22 to face either No. 1 Bountiful or No. 4 Brighton.
4A semifinals
No. 4 Ridgeline vs. No. 1 Park City
The 4A semifinals open Tuesday morning at Zions Bank Stadium with a rematch of last year’s wildest playoff game — a 5-3 Ridgeline victory over Park City at this same venue that featured eight goals, multiple lead changes, and a Lily Hunsaker hat trick that propelled the RiverHawks to the championship match.
Park City will be looking for revenge. No. 1 seed Park City (19-1) has been the most dominant team in the classification all season, outscoring opponents 100-11 while posting shutouts in 13 of 20 matches. The Miners dispatched No. 16 Provo 3-0 in the first round before blanking defending champion No. 8 Snow Canyon 4-0 in the quarterfinals — with Elsa Dellenbach contributing a goal and three assists to dismantle the team that won last year’s title. Fifth-year head coach Anthony DiCicco’s squad has allowed more than one goal just once all season (a 5-1 loss at 5A No. 3 Olympus in August), a defensive standard that contrasts sharply with the 5-3 shootout Ridgeline dragged them into a year ago.
Dellenbach (18 goals, 14 assists) leads one of the deepest attacks in any classification — she’s one of seven Miners with eight or more goals. Mallory Carter (13 goals, 10 assists), Ashtyn Holder (12 goals, 10 assists), Riley Reese (9 goals, 4 assists), Hailey Olsen (9 goals, 6 assists), Maddie McCallion (8 goals, 8 assists) and Reagan Bowers (8 goals, 5 assists) give Park City a seemingly endless rotation of finishers. Goalkeeper Marley Filipppone has posted 8.5 shutouts. The Miners haven’t conceded a goal in 200 playoff minutes — a run they’ll need to maintain against a Ridgeline attack that put five past them 12 months ago.
No. 4 seed Ridgeline (16-3) arrives with championship experience and an attack designed for exactly this kind of high-stakes environment. Third-year head coach Richard Alexander’s RiverHawks reached last year’s title match before suffering a gut-wrenching 5-4 penalty-shootout loss to Snow Canyon after a 3-3 draw. That heartbreak has fueled a dominant 2026 campaign — Ridgeline co-claimed the Region 11 title with Green Canyon at 13-1 and has outscored opponents 87-18 this postseason, including a 6-0 first-round demolition of Cedar behind a Samantha Brown hat trick and a 2-1 quarterfinal victory over No. 5 Mountain View.
Samantha Brown (20 goals, 9 assists) has carried her first-round form forward, while Reagan Brown (16 goals, 12 assists) provides an equally lethal partner. Mya Vetica (11 goals, 7 assists) and Kemrie Grange (11 goals, 4 assists) — who scored in last year’s semifinal win — give Ridgeline four double-digit goal scorers. Sierra Dean (6 goals, 10 assists) orchestrates from deeper positions. Hunsaker, last year’s semifinal hat-trick hero, has added six goals this season. Goalkeepers Skylie Folkman (4.5 shutouts) and Preslee Major (3 shutouts) have combined for 7.5 clean sheets.
Last year’s 5-3 barnburner suggests Park City has the one matchup vulnerability Ridgeline is uniquely equipped to exploit. The Miners’ defense has been historically stingy this season, but the RiverHawks’ four-pronged attack is the one unit in 4A capable of replicating the kind of multi-goal outburst that overwhelmed Park City a year ago. Whether Park City’s defensive improvement holds — or whether Ridgeline can once again turn Zions Bank Stadium into a track meet — will define who advances to the championship.
The winner advances to the 4A championship on Oct. 22 to face either No. 2 Green Canyon or No. 3 Crimson Cliffs.
No. 3 Crimson Cliffs vs. No. 2 Green Canyon
The 4A classification’s two most dominant teams collide Tuesday at Zions Bank Stadium in a semifinal showdown between contrasting identities — No. 2 seed Green Canyon’s record-setting attack against No. 3 seed Crimson Cliffs’ historically stingy defense. Something will have to give at 11:30 a.m. when the Wolves, who have scored 122 goals this season, face a Mustangs defense that has allowed just eight.
No. 2 seed Green Canyon (19-1) has been the most prolific team in any classification statewide, and the quarterfinals were no exception — the Wolves dispatched No. 7 East 6-1 behind a goal and two assists from Chloe Sadler, who continues to piece together one of the most remarkable individual seasons in Utah high school soccer history. The senior now has 30 goals and 34 assists — 64 direct goal contributions in 19 matches — numbers that have redefined what an individual player can produce. Eva Israelsen scored twice in the quarterfinal victory, with Liv Maw, Kloey Tensmeyer and Autumn Howell also finding the net.
Fifth-year head coach Kirt Sadler’s Wolves have averaged 6.4 goals per game and conceded just 0.4, with goalkeepers Britt Maw (7 shutouts) and Olivia Allen (6 shutouts) combining for 13 clean sheets. Beyond Sadler, the attack features Israelsen (19 goals, 9 assists), Jaycee Knight (17 goals, 8 assists), Howell (13 goals), Collins Webb (11 goals, 8 assists) and Tensmeyer (9 goals, 18 assists) — five additional players who would be the leading scorer on most 4A rosters. Green Canyon’s lone loss came at Region 11 co-champion No. 4 Ridgeline (3-2) on Sept. 21. The 2023 state champions were upset in last year’s quarterfinals as the No. 2 seed, falling 2-1 to Desert Hills — a result that has clearly driven this season’s dominance.
No. 3 seed Crimson Cliffs (16-3) counters with the tournament’s most impenetrable defense. Goalkeeper Kennedy Madsen has recorded 12 shutouts in 19 matches, conceding just eight goals all season (0.4 per game) — a mark that matches Green Canyon’s defensive rate. The Mustangs reinforced their reputation in the quarterfinals, shutting out No. 11 Timpanogos 6-0 as sixth-year head coach Kat Esplin’s squad produced its most complete performance of the postseason. Ava Garrett and Emmie Gardner each scored twice, while Hadley Phillips and Alissa Pond also found the net.
Macey Woolley (22 goals, 11 assists) has been one of the most dominant individual performers in the bracket, but the Mustangs’ attack has diversified in the playoffs — Gardner (7 goals, 3 assists), Jayda Alofipo (5 goals, 2 assists) and Phillips (4 goals, 2 assists) have provided scoring beyond the star forward. Garrett (3 goals, 5 assists) and Alexis Macfarlane (1 goal, 3 assists) create from deeper positions.
Crimson Cliffs’ nonregion résumé includes victories over 6A No. 3 Farmington (1-0), 6A No. 1 Lone Peak (5-1) and 5A No. 8 Bonneville (2-1 in OT), proving the Mustangs can compete with — and defeat — programs from higher classifications. Their three losses all came in tight fashion: to 6A American Fork in penalties, to No. 9 Desert Hills (1-0) and to No. 8 Snow Canyon in penalties.
These programs last met in the 2023 quarterfinals, when Green Canyon won 2-0 on its way to the state championship — one of only two times Crimson Cliffs has been shut out in its last 40 playoff matches.
Tuesday’s semifinal is the bracket’s most fascinating tactical puzzle. Green Canyon has the firepower to overwhelm any defense — but it hasn’t faced one this organized all season. Crimson Cliffs has the goalkeeper and the structure to frustrate any attack — but it hasn’t faced one this deep or this balanced. The Wolves have scored five or more goals in 13 of 20 matches; the Mustangs have conceded more than one goal just once all year. Whichever identity prevails will advance to face either No. 1 Park City or No. 4 Ridgeline for the 4A crown.
This report was compiled with the assistance of ChatGPT.