High school girls soccer: Bountiful rides fast start to convincing win over Brighton in Region 6 rematch

The Redhawks scored three goals in opening 14 minutes in dominant victory

Published: Sept 24, 2026, 10:32 p.m. MDT

Bountiful players celebrate after a goal as they and Brighton play in a high school girls soccer game in Bountiful on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. Bountiful won 4-0. Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

James has been covering high school sports in Utah for the Deseret News for three decades.

Since an 0–2 start to the season, defending 5A state champion Bountiful has been humming along, stacking up win after win except for one big anomaly on Sept. 1 at Brighton.

The Redhawks came out flat, surrendered two early goals and suffered a humbling 3-0 defeat. Three weeks later, however, Bountiful returned the favor with uneven bigger statement win.

In a top-of-the-table Region 6 clash on Thursday night, the Redhawks scored three goals in the opening 14 minutes and rolled from there for a resounding 4–0 victory to move into sole possession of first place.

Emmy Sorensen, Kendyl Clark and Jane Hellewell accounted for those early goals against a shell-shocked Brighton back line that had only allowed six goals all season to that point.

Senior midfielder Myka Page notched assists on two of those goals.

“We showed up so hard yesterday at practice, and we’re like, ‘We need a win, especially because it was senior night.’ I could just feel the whole team was intense and just wanted it,” said Page.

“Just being able to score first, that definitely made a big difference this time.”

Bountiful has now won 11 of its past 12 games, and with just a couple weeks left in the regular season it’s peaking at the right time in its bid for a state title repeat.

The Redhawks’ ability to possess and make other teams chase defensively has been the catalyst to their long run of good form since the slow start.

“I think that’s where we’ve been successful against the Brightons and Olympus and some of the better teams, is we know if we keep the ball and keep attacking, then it’s really hard for them, and once they do get the ball, it’s typically a little more hurried up approach on their end,” said Bountiful coach Kris Hamlet.

Bountiful and Brighton play in a high school girls soccer game in Bountiful on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. Bountiful won 4-0. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

Bountiful’s keeper Charli Castleberry stops a shot as Bountiful and Brighton play a high school soccer game in Bountiful on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. Bountiful won 4-0. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

Brighton’s Georgia Mikell and Bountiful’s Katie Croft battle as they play in a high school girls soccer game in Bountiful on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. Bountiful won 4-0. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

Brighton’s Charlotte Jacobsen and Bountiful’s Bella Morgan kick at the ball as they play a high school girls soccer game in Bountiful on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. Bountiful won 4-0. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

Brighton’s Addison Despain and Bountiful’s Sami Carter collide and fall as they battle for the ball as they play in a high school girls soccer game in Bountiful on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. Bountiful won 4-0. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

Bountiful and Brighton girls play a high school soccer game in Bountiful on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. Bountiful won 4-0. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

In the previous meeting between these teams, Brighton scored 37 seconds into the game and then tacked on a second goal within five minutes.

“It was 2-0 pretty quick. We just didn’t have any energy, and it never came,” said Hamlet.

In Thursday’s rematch, Brighton came out on the front foot again and had Bountiful pinned in for most of the opening five minutes. In the seventh minute though, Page’s quality under pressure changed the entire complexion of the game.

Brighton’s defense collapsed on Page to try to dispossess her about 30 yards from goal, but she kept ball and then slipped it in behind the defense to a streaking Sorensen, who slotted the one 1v1 chance past the keeper for her fourth goal of the season and the 1-0 lead.

“She makes some incredible passes, and Emmy made a great run through the middle and to make it easy for Myka, who had perfect pass,” said Hamlet.

“That’s the thing about Myka, she’s very unselfish. She can score goals all day long, but she’ll be one of the best assist players in the game, too.”

In the 12th minute, Clark doubled the advantage by capitalizing on a Brighton giveaway in the midfield.

After winning the ball, with no one in front of her, Clark made a dribbling run toward goal as a recovering defender closed in on her right.

As she approached the top of the box, instead of taking another touch to get closer, Clark smashed a lefty shot into the top corner of goal for the early 2-0 lead.

“Nails a left-footer. She’s had a couple of those goals this year. She hasn’t gotten a lot of minutes, but she’s made the most of them. I was happy to see her score on senior night for sure,” said Hamlet.

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Two minutes later, Hellewell pushed the lead to 3–0 just seconds after she came off the bench for a Bountiful corner kick. Page played her a short corner near the edge of the penalty area, with Hellewell quickly cutting it onto her left foot and unspooling a wicked shot over the keeper and in off the bottom of the crossbar.

It was the 12th goal of the season for Hellewell, who usually starts for Bountiful but came off the bench on senior night.

Up 3-0 at the half, Hamlet challenged his team to try to put together a full 80-minute performance, something it has struggled with. His players responded by keeping the shutout, and then Page adding her team-leading 19th goal in the 60th minute for the 4-0 lead.

“At halftime we told them the next goal’s going to be the most important,” Hamlet said, “because we knew if Brighton drew one back quickly that it would be a new ball game and we felt like if we could get one more on the board, then we’d probably be able to control the rest of the game.”

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