Girls soccer: Friends and foes, Layton and Northridge didn’t disappoint in rivalry contest
Hawes goal lends another win for Layton in "Battle for the Sword"
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- Layton High celebrates a goal during a nonregion girls soccer contest at Northridge High School on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, in Layton. (CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner).
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- Northridge’s Makelle Nielson, left, and Layton’s Cami Martin, right, battle for possession during a nonregion girls soccer contest at Northridge High School on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, in Layton. (CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner).
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- Layton’s Aly Cram, left, watches Northridge’s Bella Banks, right, closely during a nonregion girls soccer contest at Northridge High School on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, in Layton. (CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner).
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- A goal, scored by Layton High’s Sadie Hawes, middle (white), slips past Northridge goalkeeper Abigail Frost, right (pink), during a nonregion girls soccer contest at Northridge High School on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, in Layton. (CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner).
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- Layton High celebrates a goal during a nonregion girls soccer contest at Northridge High School on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, in Layton. (CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner).
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- Northridge’s Roxey Roberts pictured during a nonregion girls soccer contest at Northridge High School on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, in Layton. (CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner).
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- Northridge’s Roxey Roberts, left, and Bella Banks, right, pressure Layton’s Aly Cram, middle, during a nonregion girls soccer contest at Northridge High School on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, in Layton. (CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner).
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- Northridge’s Bella Banks, left, gets a shot past Layton’s Tae Hansen, right, during a nonregion girls soccer contest at Northridge High School on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, in Layton. (CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner).
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- A ball rests beside the goal during a nonregion girls soccer contest at Northridge High School on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, in Layton. (CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner).
LAYTON – While Utah’s high school soccer scene is littered with nonregion matchups at this time of year, Layton and Northridge had one particular contest circled on their calendars.
Layton midfielder Sadie Hawes was just a sophomore when the two schools renewed the “Battle for the Sword” late last summer after a two-year hiatus. Now a junior, Hawes delivered her end’s first goal of the regular season, and the game-winner on Thursday to shut out the Knights 1-0 for a second year.
The Layton-Northridge rivalry very much still exists through fall, winter and spring sports, but having the girls soccer matchup back only adds continuity to a crosstown classic that Hawes and her team can rally behind to begin the season. That momentum is amplified by Hawes’ one-touch goal, scored midway through the second half on a well-placed pass from senior midfielder Alice Steed.
“I kinda saw it go in the direction of the (goal), but as soon as I hit the ground, I was like ‘Oh, that went in,’ Hawes said. “That was an awesome pass.”
They don’t share a region these days, but Northridge seniors Abigail Frost and Makelle Nielson are two quick names that Hawes and Layton senior goalkeeper Quincey Reisbeck threw out while catching up with the Standard-Examiner on Thursday.
“It means a lot, it really does,” Reisbeck said. “We just beat our rivals; it feels really good.”
A different kind of season
It’s been a tough offseason for Layton’s soccer community.
Layton native and Lancers assistant coach Tricia Ferrin, 50, died earlier in June, and left her twin sister, ninth-year Layton head coach Tara Ferrin, without a staff member short entering the 2026-27 school year. It’s an impact that hit the team hard, as Tricia, who coached the sub-varsity squad, had become a pillar of the coaching staff and a voice the team had come to trust.
“I think it means more this year,” Reisbeck said of Tricia.
“It’s the first year, so I definitely think it means a lot. (Tricia) was an amazing coach. She added so much to our team, so this one’s for her and all the next ones.” ”
“I think she’s definitely cheering us on,” Hawes added.
Playing for their former coach, Layton is out to correct the wrongs of an 8-10 finish, including a 2-6 record in Region 1, this fall.
They’re one win closer to a winning record, and Thursday’s victory saw Tara Ferrin recognize her squad translating the install in practice to their in-game attack when pressuring the Knights.
“We’re developing that pass and that feel for each other,” Ferrin said. “… At halftime, we talked about getting more crosses, and that’s where we got our goal from – the cross. They were on frame, but we were (passing) too far from the outside. It’s what we’ve been practicing, and so they’re playing it down the line, and I would say it’s picture-perfect from what we’ve practiced.”
Young Northridge provided a test
Layton produced the only goal of the contest on Thursday, but second-year coach Kenadee Thomas left the pitch encouraged by a young roster that’s growing defensively.
Falling 6-2 at Pleasant Grove on Monday, Northridge kept their crosstown rival off the board for 63 minutes during a warm night in their first home bout of the regular season. Abigail Frost led the Knights in goal, and thwarted two shots on goal 20-plus minutes into the first half.
“She’s a really big role model for the girls,” Thomas said of Frost.
Leila Cypers and Mylee Williams lend a senior presence to Northridge’s defense, Thomas said, and she’s enjoyed watching fellow senior forward Briella Moon take on a multitude of roles on the field as the Knights piece together their identity this month.
After giving up six different goals on Monday, the Knights certainly locked down on Layton through a tight match. It’s a step forward, Thomas said, but a veteran defense is crucial to improving upon last year’s 4-14 finish and 3-9 record in Region 5.
“We love playing against Layton; they’re awesome, and it’s always great competition,” Thomas said. “It’s a lot of young girls. We’re still building and trying to figure out where to put players, and, for now, we’re going to start with our defense and see where we go.”
Connect with Standard-Examiner sports reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net, X @ctbecker and Instagram @standardexaminersports.
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