Make some space for another championship trophy at Olympus High School. 

For the second time in four seasons, the Olympus girls soccer team captured the Class 5A state title. This latest championship cemented Olympus as one of the top programs in the state. The Titans now have five state championships in their history, having also won three in a row between 1994 and 1996. 

Winning this year’s crown was especially sweet. 

Olympus went 19-1 this season. In the final match of the state tournament, the Titans defeated the only team that they had lost to: Brighton. But it was far from easy. 

The two Region 6 rivals were both 18-1 going into the championship game, held Oct. 25 at Zions Bank Stadium in Sandy. Brighton beat Olympus in a shootout on Sept. 23 after the Titans had blown out the Bengals in the first meeting, 6-0 on Aug. 29. This time around, Olympus returned the favor from the teams’ previous encounter. 

After a defensive battle resulted in a scoreless tie through regulation, the game went into overtime. Neither team could gain an advantage in two extra sessions, leading to penalty kicks to decide the next state champion. Under pressure, Olympus prevailed, making four kicks to two for Brighton. 

It was a fitting way for the Titans to cap the season. 

Olympus allowed just 10 goals all season, just 0.5 a game. In 12 region games, the Titans surrendered only six goals. Meanwhile, they scored 82 goals overall this season, 56 in league action. 

Dominant virtually all season, Olympus boasted many strengths. Head coach Jamie Evans said her team had excellent leaders and enjoyed unity. The players wanted to work hard, and they wanted to win. 

“The captains and seniors this year have really risen to the occasion on many fronts,” Evans said. “The underclassmen have such good examples of what being an amazing team member looks like. Another key element would be the chemistry that this team has and had right from the start. Their connection with each other seems almost effortless. Finally, this team has a competitive edge that is just organically present. These girls show up to compete and are hungry for that competition.”

In the postseason, Olympus gave up just one goal, and that came in a six-point win. The Titans opened with a second-round win at home over Timpview, 7-1 on Oct. 15. In that rout, Liza Anderson had three goals and an assist. Hope Munson had two goals and three assists, while McCoy Cavazos had two goals and assisted on another. Kayla Bradley recorded an assist as well. 

The Titans followed that victory with a pair of 3-0 wins. First, on Oct. 17, they dispatched Clearfield in the quarterfinals, jumping out to a 2-0 halftime advantage. Joss Baker got the shutout and had plenty of help from her backline teammates. Munson had a goal and an assist, while Ella Schutjer and Syrelle Taylor also scored. Ella Nelson and Kiera Bradley assisted on goals. Five days later, Olympus played a talented Bountiful team at Zions Bank Stadium. The Redhawks had lost just three times all season and were one of the highest-scoring teams in the state. But the Titans shut them out and got a pair of goals from Munson to move on to the finals. Hallie Hansen assisted on one of Munson’s goals, and the Titans also were on the fortunate end of a Bountiful own goal. 

The season was nearly flawless for the Titans. 

Olympus never gave up more than two goals in a game—and only two teams were able to make more than one goal in a contest. Olympus won 13 games this season by at least three goals and eight games by at least five goals. Other than Brighton, only two teams kept Olympus under three goals. 

With such success, it’s not surprising that so many players contributed to the stat sheet. Leading the way was captain Hope Munson, who was a nightmare for opponents. The senior tallied 25 goals and had 15 assists. She tied for 11th in the state (first in 5A) in goals and tied for ninth in the state (tied for first in 5A) in assists. Munson is on her way to play for North Carolina, one of the top women’s soccer programs in the country, next season. Fellow captain Anna Neff had eight goals and two assists. More importantly, she teamed with Munson to provide valuable on-field leadership. 

“[Munson] and [Neff] are two of the best soccer players in the state and two of the best leaders in the state,” Evans said. “They talk the talk and walk the walk. They are both absolute workhorses and lead by example. They are also so positive with the girls on the team. They encourage and uplift those around them.”

Other big contributors were Schutjer, who tied Munson with 15 assists (and added three goals), and Hansen, who chipped in 11 goals and six assists. Kiera Bradley scored 10 goals and dished out seven assists. Anderson had six goals and six assists. Baker had nine shutouts. 

Winning a state title will have far-reaching effects, Evans said. 

“The success of this team only adds to the culture of Olympus women's soccer,” she said. “This team has set a standard of hard work, sacrifice, competitiveness and teamwork that has been an example for the future of the program. Even though we have seniors on the team, we have a young group of players that are contributing minutes and gaining valuable experience from the standard being set.”

Evans has loved the chance to coach this group, and she’s thrilled to welcome back many experienced, skilled players in 2025. Neff, Kiera Bradley, Kayla Bradley and Anderson will return next season. Other players to watch will be Cavazos, a sophomore who had five goals and seven assists this year, and Ella Nelson, who scored twice and assisted on a pair of goals. 

Evans said this team couldn’t have accomplished what it did without the hard work and commitment of everyone on the team, including her assistant coaches. 

“It is a very collaborative effort to give the girls the best experience and help them be successful and in an environment that is positive and a place where they can grow,” she said. “All coaches, including sophomore, JV and varsity coaches, are all integral parts of the success of this program.” λ