Game Details - Girls Soccer

When defending 2A state champion American Heritage meets St. Joseph Thursday at 11:30 a.m. at Zions Bank Stadium, the Patriots will be looking to replicate their regular season success against the high-scoring Jayhawks. American Heritage (12-6-0) handed St. Joseph (12-4-0) one of its rare defeats this season, securing a 2-0 home victory on Sept. 9. The Patriots' defense successfully contained St. Joseph's prolific attack in that meeting, while second-half goals from Ada Werner and Olivia Knecht provided the margin of victory. Both teams have been impressive in their playoff runs, with American Heritage blanking American Leadership 4-0 in the quarterfinals and St. Joseph dispatching Grand 5-1. The semifinal features two of 2A's most dynamic offenses. St. Joseph is led by Sofia Evans, who has tallied a remarkable 55 goals and 17 assists this season. Evans continued her scoring prowess in the quarterfinals with a hat trick against Grand. Bond Ari provides additional firepower with 10 goals and 11 assists. American Heritage counters with a balanced attack led by Isabelle Steele (13 goals, 11 assists), Mikelle Arnson and Jules Gardner (11 goals each), and Olivia Knecht (10 goals, 14 assists). Defensively, St. Joseph goalkeeper Addison Doebler has recorded 12 shutouts this season. American Heritage has used a committee approach in goal, with Brinley Hall leading the way with 3.5 shutouts. The teams have faced several common opponents this season, with both defeating American Leadership, Utah Military Hillfield, and APA West Valley. However, both also suffered defeats to top-ranked Waterford. This marks the second consecutive year these teams have met in the 2A semifinals, with American Heritage prevailing last season en route to their state championship. The winner advances to Saturday's championship match against either Waterford or Maeser Prep at America First Field.