Alta is poised to win it all

The Alta soccer team is ranked No. 2 in the country. When the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America polls came out, Alta had reached new heights with the mark. Never before has a team from Utah been ranked that high.

"I think it is good for the girls and good for the state of Utah," said Hawks coach Lee Mitchell. "It shows that girls soccer in the state is getting some pretty high respect from around the country."

So what does the lofty perch do for Alta in the next two weeks while the state championship is decided?

Nothing.

The rankings are nice, but the game is still played out on the field. With the playoffs kicking off today, Alta still has to go out and prove it is the best in 5A.

"I think the team takes pride in it," added Mitchell, "but if anything, it may give the other teams even more motivation to try to knock us off."

Davis gets the first shot to beat the Hawks. The Darts were preseason favorites to win Region 1, but after struggling through some injuries, the Darts ended as the No. 4 seed. Davis will try to stop Alta's forward combo of Megan and Kealia Ohai. The sisters have combined for 44 goals this year, second only to the duo of Lauren Hair and Shantel Flanary of Lone Peak with 47.

Even if Davis stops the Ohai sisters and the rest of the Alta attack, it still must get the ball in the net, which means beating one of the top keepers in not only the state, but also the nation, in Hailee DeYoung. Colette Jepson and Roxy Tebbs lead the Davis offense, and with the return of midfielder Lauren Parkhurst, Davis may be just one of a handful of teams that can challenge Alta.

Some other teams to watch out for in 5A are region winners Lone Peak, Viewmont and Bingham, and don't count out defending champion Brighton just yet. No one had the Bengals winning it last season, and they surprised some teams.

Orem has reached as high as No. 5 in the Western Region. The Tigers were the only team to beat 5A Lone Peak this season and ran through their regular season with only one blemish on their record, a tie to Lehi. Much like Alta, Orem has two dangerous scorers in Jamie Lyons and Anne Shallenberger, and keeper Aly Tucker is tough to score on.

The Region 5 teams may not have the best records, but that does not mean anything in the playoffs. The region had three of four semifinalists last season, and both championship game participants.