By Josh McFadden | [email protected]

In a lot of regions across the girls high school soccer landscape, the Brighton Bengals would be at the top of the standings.                 

But not every region has a team like Corner Canyon.

As of Sept. 11, the Chargers were the only undefeated team in Class 5A and one of only three teams in the state without a loss. They just might be the only squad capable of keeping Brighton from the top of Region 7. Brighton won eight of its first 11 games and had a 3-2 region mark after five league contests.

The Bengals have been an offensive juggernaut in all of their games except for their outings against Corner Canyon Aug. 30 when they lost 2-0 and Timpview Sept. 11 when they suffered a 3-0 defeat. Outside of those contests, Brighton has scored at least twice in every game and managed three goals in all but one game—a 2-1 win over Pleasant Grove on Aug. 16.

Brighton’s offense was on full display Sept. 6 at home against Cottonwood with an 8-0 blowout. The Bengals raced to an insurmountable 6-0 advantage at halftime and added two more goals for good measure in the final 40 minutes. Sage Stott netted three goals, while Dylan Zito added two. Amelia Munson, Kaitlyn Conley and Lexi Simpson contributed a goal as well. Junior goalie Naomi Kehl pitched her first shutout of the season.

Even in its other defeat on the year, a 4-3 overtime setback to Highland in an Aug. 23 non-region affair, Brighton played well offensively. Conley scored twice, and Kate Munger scored a goal as well. Unfortunately for Brighton, it couldn’t find the net in overtime. The Bengals also had a hard time stopping Highland.

The Bengals hope to shore up the defense as region play continues. Though they have been mostly solid, the Bengals defense has been an issue this season. They surrendered two or more goals seven times in the first 11 games.

Individually, Conley has been a scoring machine. Through her team’s first nine games, she totaled 14 goals, which at that point was good enough for best among all 5A players. Simpson, Stott and Zito have been good support players. Each of them scored four goals through the first nine outings, while Munson scored three during that stretch. Nine Bengals have gotten on the board up to this point.

To catch Corner Canyon, the Bengals will have to beat the Chargers in the team’s second meeting on Sept. 18. This game took place after our press deadline. Timpview and Alta also figure to provide a good test for Brighton. The Bengals host those two squads on Sept. 20 and Sept. 27, respectively.

The final Region 7 game takes place Oct. 2 when Brighton hosts Jordan. The Bengals must finish in the top four of the six-team region to reach the 5A state tournament.