Region 9 girls soccer: Warriors win 5th in a row; Mustangs, Thunder stay ahead

Written by E. George Goold
September 16, 2023

ST. GEORGE — A new contender is emerging in the race for the Region 9 girls soccer crown.

Snow Canyon’s Millie Warner boots the ball while Dixie’s Hunter Wright chases in a Region 9 girls soccer match, St. George, Utah, Sept. 14, 2023 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News

Snow Canyon won at home Thursday night, its fifth victory in a row.

Last year the Warriors went on a hot streak that carried them all the way to the 4A state championship game, and they’re hoping for a similar run now as the regular season winds down. 

Crimson Cliffs and Desert Hills also won on the pitch as the Mustangs kept their position on top of the standings with the Thunder right behind.

Following is a look at recent Region 9 girls soccer action, starting with recaps of Thursday night’s contests.

Snow Canyon 2, Dixie 1

The Warriors got a little payback against the Flyers after Dixie beat Snow Canyon for the first time in eight years on Aug. 22.

It was Senior Night at Snow Canyon as the Warriors recognized several players who’ve been part of the program for years.

Assistant coach Ryan Losee directed the Warriors from the sideline as head coach Conner Brown was unable to make the game.

“It was a special night,” Losee told St. George News after the win. “There was a lot of emotion and the girls stepped up and put everything into it. I’m super proud of them. They work hard every day, and they’ve been putting in the work.”

Snow Canyon’s Millie Warner (right) and Dixie’s Hunter Wright (left) battle for the ball in a Region 9 girls soccer match, St. George, Utah, Sept. 14, 2023 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News

Lottie Smith and Jolee Irivn tallied for the winners, scoring once in each half. Smith and Ashlee Harris collected assists.

Snow Canyon possessed the ball for much of the contest, but Dixie made the most of its few opportunities on offense and the contest was in doubt all night.

Hunter Wright found the back of the cage for Dixie, which tied the game 1-1 going into halftime.

But Smith powered home a shot from near the top of the box and the Warriors held on to win.

“Our goal is to peak at the right time so that we can position ourselves heading into the playoffs,” Losee said. “But we just got to take it one game at a time. We still have a couple of games left and we’re going to focus on those.”

Snow Canyon improved to 6-3 in Region 9, 8-5 overall. The Warriors are in sole possession of third place in the region standings.

Meanwhile, Dixie slipped to 3-5, 3-8 and is in fifth place.

Crimson Cliffs defeats Pine View 3-1 in a Region 9 girls soccer match, St. George, Utah, Sept. 14, 2023 | Photo by Aaron Crane, St. George News

Crimson Cliffs 3, Pine View 1

The region leaders scored three times in the first half, which was enough against the host Panthers, who netted their goal in the second half. 

Quinci Smith tallied twice for the winners while Isabella Cotter recorded a goal and an assist in the win. Isabella Rosenlund dispensed two helpers for the Mustangs, who have won eight consecutive games.

Crimson Cliffs remained unbeaten in Region 9 play at 8-0, 10-2 overall. Pine View fell to 1-8, 1-11.

Desert Hills 2, Cedar 1 (OT) 

At Cedar, the Thunder’s Kimber Clawson scored the winning goal off a corner kick in overtime. Ellie Hendrix assisted the game-winner.

Cedar’s Lauren Yardley (right) moves the ball against Desert Hills’ Emery Simister in a Region 9 girls soccer match, Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 14, 2023 | Photo by Jeff Richards, Cedar City News / St. George News

Hendrix gave the Thunder a 1-0 lead in the first half with a straight-on kick from the top of the box that eluded Cedar goalkeeper Cambria Simper.

Desert Hills kept the lead until the final minutes when Cedar earned a penalty kick. Sophomore Tylee Nielson converted the PK to tie the game 1-1 and force overtime.

“As we went into overtime we definitely were tired,” Desert Hills head coach Benji Nelson told St. George News afterward. “The change in elevation and playing on the grass always seems to help wear us down.”

The Thunder stayed in second place in the Region 9 standings at 7-2 with the win, 10-4 overall.

“The girls found that extra energy and gave extra effort, wanting to revenge a 1-0 loss at Cedar last year,” Nelson said. “And the girls found a way to score.”

Cedar is in fourth place at 5-4 in Region 9, 7-6 overall.

“Cedar is always a very challenging place to play,” Nelson said. “Cedar is well-coached and their team always comes prepared to give us all we can handle.”

–written by Jeff Richards

Following are scores from recent Region 9 games:

Sept. 12

  • Crimson Cliffs 2, Hurricane 0
  • Snow Canyon 5, Desert Hills 4, OT
  • Cedar 5, Pine View 3

Sept. 7

  • Desert Hills 2, Dixie 0
  • Cedar 3, Hurricane 0
  • Snow Canyon 8, Pine View 0

Region 9 soccer games Tuesday, Sept. 19:

  • Pine View at Desert Hills, 7:30 p.m.
  • Snow Canyon at Crimson Cliffs, 7:30 p.m.
  • Hurricane at Dixie, 7:30 p.m.

Photo Gallery

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Eric George Goold came to St. George News from southwestern Colorado, where he was a radio news reporter. He has been a journalist for over 20 years in five different states. He graduated with a master's degree in English from Kansas State University and writes nonfiction as well. Goold has been published in Sunstone Magazine and has done multiple public readings about local history. When he has free time, he enjoys chess, movies and dogs.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!