Utah Valley girls soccer could see some real battles this season.
Both of the local regions are looking stronger and deeper than they have in a few years. For the past couple of seasons, there have been some clear-cut favorites that were fairly dominant. The favorites this year won't have it so easy. That means the regular season will be a lot more interesting, and more than a couple of teams like their chances in the state tournament.
Look for a changing of the guard in Region 4. Lone Peak has dominated the last two seasons but graduated eight starters. Timpanogos had a great preseason and looks ready to make its run at the region title. American Fork and Lehi probably won't contend for first place, but they're too tough to overlook.
In Region 7, Orem is looking for a third straight championship, but there are no guarantees. Springville, Mountain View and Provo are all good enough to beat the Tigers head-to-head, which could open up the door for someone else to sneak in.
"I still think Orem's the team to beat," said Springville coach Ryan Swanson. "But we think they're very beatable for us. We can play with them."
With the region schedule getting into full swing this week, here's a closer look at how each team breaks down:
Region 4
TIMPANOGOS T-WOLVES
Coach: Natalyn Lewis
Key players: Dana Oldroyd, defense; Noelle Sanders, midfield; Marissa Nimmer, forward; Angelica Dickson, forward.
Outlook: Timpanogos looks strong across the lineup. Some of the young players have stepped in and made impressive contributions in the preseason. There's also some strong senior leadership on the team. In particular, the T-Wolves have a lot of goal scorers to complement and make consistent the defense.
Last season: 12-5-1, second in region, lost in state quarterfinals to state champion Alta.
2007 region prediction: First
LONE PEAK KNIGHTS
Coach: Mike LaHargoue
Key players: Shantel Flanary, forward; Mindy Vawdry, midfield; Elena Drake, midfield; Carissa Henley, defense.
Outlook: The Knights are working to plug some holes and establish a new identity after losing much of last year's team that finished second in state. Defensively the team looks decent, but the goals aren't coming as easily as they have the last two seasons. The Knights can still be a state contender if they keep improving through region play.
Last season: 18-2-0, first in region, lost in state championship game to Alta.
2007 region prediction: Second
AMERICAN FORK CAVEMEN
Coach: Becca Murdock
Key players: Kaycee Mansfield, forward; April Hansen, goalkeeper; Nikki Ybarra, midfield; Nikki Packham, midfield.
Outlook: The Cavemen return almost all of their key starters from last year's playoff team. The hope is that another year will push American Fork a step closer to being a legitimate region contender. Early results have been mixed, but performances should improve. Accomplishing the team goal of making semifinals is asking a lot, but isn't impossible.
Last season: 10-7-1, third in region, lost in state quarterfinals.
2007 region prediction: Third
LEHI PIONEERS
Coach: Brett Bergholm
Key players: Harley Spier, forward; Kyleigh Royal, midfield; Shayla Holmstead, defender.
Outlook: The first-year 5A school will undoubtedly have some adjustment struggles but will still be a team to watch for this year. The Pioneers have a reputation for being a scrappy team that will fight to the final whistle. That type of play will serve them well in a region with a lot of tough, physical teams.
Last season: 10-7-1, fourth in region, lost in state quarterfinals.
2007 region prediction: Fourth
SPANISH FORK DONS
Coach: Dennis Gillie
Key players: Lupe Espinosa, forward; Wendy Mejia, forward; Amanda Barlow, defense.
Outlook: The Dons will consider this season successful if they're just able to compete. The past few seasons have been tumultuous, but there should be enough improvement this year to put together a respectable year, although making the playoffs is very unlikely.
Last season: 3-11-1, fifth in region.
2007 region prediction: Fifth
PLEASANT GROVE VIKINGS
Coach: Erik Bayles
Key players: Ty Hansen, forward; Jamie Wilson, forward.
Outlook: The Vikings' Achilles heal will be on defense. They'll need to shore up the back line and keep teams from scoring early in order to be competitive and stay in games. Last year's team went winless in region, so improving that record is a priority.
Last season: 2-12-2, sixth in region.
2007 region prediction: Sixth
Region 7
OREM TIGERS
Coach: Ed Louder
Key players: Aly Tucker, goalkeeper; Anne Shallenberger, forward; Steinia Dort, defense; Kaitlyn Thomas, midfield.
Outlook: The Tigers are deep and experienced, with prolific goal scorers, talented midfielders and a stingy defense. This year's team is probably better than the teams that won region the last two years. The road to a three-peat could have its pitfalls, but Orem also has its sights set on the state tournament.
Last season: 16-1-1, first in region, lost in state quarterfinals.
2007 region prediction: First
SPRINGVILLE RED DEVILS
Coach: Ryan Swanson
Key players: Rachel Fischer, forward; Kaylyn Swanson, midfield; Sadie Clemens, goalkeeper; Hailey Francis, midfield.
Outlook: Springville has a strong lineup of goal scorers and won't be out of shot by many teams this year. The Devils are prepared to try and knock of Orem. They are capable of doing that but will need to avoid stumbles against some other teams first.
Last season: 12-6-0, second in region, lost in state quarterfinals.
2007 region prediction: Second
MOUNTAIN VIEW BRUINS
Coach: Sarah Atuaia
Key players: Auna Janis, forward; Stephanie Solorzano, forward; Caitlin Boswell, midfield; Maddie Wiscombe, forward.
Outlook: Stepping down to 4A isn't necessarily making the road any easier for the Bruins. But the team looks to see some definite improvement over last year. They have an outside shot contending for the region championship but should be able to make the playoffs either way.
Last season: 5-12-0, fourth in region, lost in first round of playoffs.
2007 region prediction: Third
PROVO BULLDOGS
Coach: Cesar Cardoso
Key players: Chandra Salmon, forward; Amber Wadsworth, forward; Jessica Trewartha, goalkeeper.
Outlook: Provo might have the most skilled line of forward in the region. The team is more experienced this year as well, which should help with consistency. The Bulldogs are another team with a dark-horse chance at region and a good chance to advance in the playoffs.
Last season: 12-6-0, second in region, lost in state quarterfinals.
2007 region prediction: Fourth
TIMPVIEW T-BIRDS
Coach: Jackie Skinner
Key players: Kelsey Kimball, defense; Kellie Woodfield, midfield; Laura Sudweeks, midfield; Abbey Labato, forward.
Outlook: Timpview had great team speed and some quality players across its lineup. The T-Birds might finish higher in the region on a different year but are still hopeful of making the playoffs.
Last season: 5-12-0, fifth in region, lost in first round of playoffs.
2007 region prediction: Fifth
PAYSON LIONS
Coach: Lee Gillie
Key players: Diana Bell, forward; Myriah Jensen, forward; Sam Bigler, goalkeeper; Amanda Barlow, midfield.
Outlook: Payson wants to win some region games and score more goals this season. They should accomplish both those objectives and will be a tougher opponent than last year.
Last season: 2-14-0, sixth in region.
2007 region predicton: Sixth
TOOELE BUFFALOES
Coach: Chris Wilcox
Key players: Meredith Nigh, forward; Sharon Lyman, forward; Alexis Bird, goalkeeper.
Outlook: The step up to 4A will take its toll on the Buffaloes. They'll do very well to be in contention for a playoff spot, but chances of securing one look pretty slim this year.
Last season: 5-10-1, fifth in Region 11, lost in first round of 3A playoffs.
2007 region prediction: Seventh