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West Field comforts one another following a 1-0 loss vs. Brighton during the second round of the 5A state girls soccer playoffs on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in Taylor.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

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West Field's Ellie Chugg, left, and Brighton's Londyn Green race for the ball during the second round of the 5A state girls soccer playoffs on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in Taylor.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

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West Field's Julia Robbins, right, cuts off Brighton's possession during the second round of the 5A state girls soccer playoffs on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in Taylor.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

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West Field's Abi Ridley, left, and Ellie Chugg, center, close in on an airborne ball, played by Brighton's Ellie Poelman, during the second round of the 5A state girls soccer playoffs on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in Taylor.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

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West Field coach Cade Miller, left, and Emerson Joseph share a quick chat during the second round of the 5A state girls soccer playoffs vs. Brighton on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in Taylor.

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West Field's Harlie Slaughter stops a goal attempt by Brighton during the second round of the 5A state girls soccer playoffs on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in Taylor.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

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TAYLOR — Somewhat magically, three Region 5 schools (Box Elder, Clearfield and West Field) split the regular-season title leading into the 5A state girls soccer playoffs last week.

Less magically, the No. 7 Longhorns and No. 13 Falcons are already off the board.

West Field (12-7) and Clearfield (10-9) saw their respective campaigns end on Tuesday as a result of one-goal losses. But the former’s loss came down to one particular, ill-fated goal.

Scoreless deep into the second half, No. 10 Brighton snuck by West Field 1-0 in the second round of the postseason on Tuesday evening, with a late free kick evading sophomore goalkeeper Harlie Slaughter and the Longhorns with 13 minutes left.

Brighton (14-5) drew up a tricky free kick, and a bit of misdirection involving senior Londyn Green, weaving through two teammates before ultimately delivering the ball to sophomore Savannah Zenger, who made the right touch in front of a diving Slaughter for a late lead.

Suddenly on the ropes, West Field switched to its usual three-man back scheme, moving senior defender Halle Wyatt upfield for a fourth set of legs in the attack.

West Field managed several pushes down 1-0 with very little time to create, but perhaps none more important than with 3 minutes left on a cross from Wyatt to freshman Ashton Mortenesen, firing and narrowly missing the left post from about 25 yards.

“It’s all your adrenaline, and it’s just kicking in,” Wyatt said of the sequence. “I feel like we wanted it, but we just wanted it a little too late. We should’ve had that adrenaline and that rush at the beginning. I was just trying to dish it off.”

The Bengals never let West Field threaten the net that closely again, and the Longhorns soon found themselves sharing a postgame conversation that every coach dreads. It’s one second-year Longhorns coach Cade Miller hoped to be on the other end of.

Among that group of exhausted, stunned Longhorns were four seniors: Wyatt, midfielder Breck Bushman, midfielder Andi Patterson and defender Kenley Fuit. Like her fellow seniors, Wyatt was one of those former West Field players who gambled their prep careers after their sophomore year.

“The worst part is just looking at them (and) knowing (four) of them won’t ever wear a West Field jersey again,” Miller said. “There are never great words, but I think I really just tried to speak from the heart for our four seniors. Two years ago, they had to decide whether they wanted to come to West Field or stay at their current high school, so we owe them a lot.”

Despite a second-round exit, this West Field team enshrined itself in history by beating the boys team to the school’s first region soccer title in Year 2 under Miller and staff.

West Field fell in road matches at Davis, Ogden and Green Canyon to begin the season 2-3, and later endured a three-game losing skid in September, before stringing together six consecutive wins to end the regular season with a critical region win over Box Elder (1-0 at home).

“They set the bar very high,” Miller said. “I think we’re in good hands moving forward.”

The lone region survivor, No. 11 Box Elder blanked No. 6 Hillcrest 8-0 on the back of a 4-0 start and 80 minutes of clean goaltending by senior Emma Nelson. Senior Desarae Nelson scored twice in leading the Bees to the quarterfinals at No. 3 Spanish Fork on Thursday.

Connect with reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net and X @ctbecker.