The Copper Hills girls soccer team bowed out of the Class 6A state quarterfinals with a 3-0 loss to Syracuse on Oct. 17. Though it was a tough loss for the Grizzlies, it was a memorable season. 

Copper Hills finished the year with a 15-5 record and tied for second place in Region 2 with a 9-3 mark. The 15 victories were the most in program history. 

“It was a fantastic season,” head coach Justin Hendrix said. “We only allowed 20 goals in 20 games, or one goal per game, and had nine shutouts, meaning in 45% of our games the opposition did not score. That is a tremendous accomplishment and significant improvement from where the team was just a few years ago. We pushed our defense hard to win balls out of the air, find and stay with their mark and connect passes as we build out. They were fantastic. I can’t say enough good things about our defensive performance, especially considering the level of competition we faced.”

The Grizzlies never allowed more than three goals in a game and allowed only a single goal on five occasions. 

The season-ending loss in the state quarterfinals didn’t come without effort. Copper Hills was down just 1-0 at the break before succumbing to a strong Syracuse offense. 

“We ran into an extremely tough Syracuse team on the road and fell short,” Hendrix said. “We got caught on counter attacks in the second half when we were pushing numbers forward trying to get a goal. It was a tough matchup for us; Syracuse is incredibly talented, but the girls fought and gave
their all.”

It was just the third time in program history that Copper Hills reached the state quarterfinals. The school opened in 1995. 

In the second round on Oct. 15, Copper Hills shut out Region 1’s Layton 2-0 at home, scoring both goals in the second half. Anna Hendrix and Brenna Arauzo scored for the Grizzlies off assists from Sydney Torres and Jasmine Cruz. Aspen Fraser got the shutout in the net as the starting goalkeeper. 

In league play, Copper Hills had five wins by at least three goals and registered four goals in a game five times this season. Several players contributed offensively, as 11 players scored. Leading the way was Torres, a senior who tallied 17 goals. Her 15 assists also paced the Grizzlies. Sophomore Camila Palafox was second on the team with 11 goals and tied for fourth with five assists. Arauzo, a senior, had seven goals and eight assists on the year. 

Copper Hills achieved these accomplishments despite facing a challenging slate
of games. 

“We exceeded expectations,” he said. “We had a very difficult schedule. We played six games against teams that finished in the RPI top seven in 6A. We have had back-to-back 14-plus-win seasons. We finished second in Region 2 for the second year in a row and reached the quarterfinals for the second year in a row.  It was a fantastic season from a results perspective.”

Hendrix said he could not have been happier with the girls’ efforts. Even when things weren’t going their way, the players gave it their all and had a positive attitude, Hendrix said.

“The ultimate measurement is how they played,” he said. “I’m really pleased that we were competitive in every game, played extremely hard and never stopped fighting. We played soccer the right way. These girls positively represented our program, our school and our community every time they stepped on the pitch.”

Hendrix believes bigger things are coming for the Copper Hills program. 

The 2025 season is a ways off, but Hendrix said he thinks the team can build off the momentum it established this year. He said the Grizzlies are now a force to be reckoned with in Utah high school girls soccer. 

“I think it’s a recognition that we have become a strong, respectable soccer program capable of competing with the best teams in the state when we play with great effort, energy and collectively focus on common goals,” he said. “We play in an incredibly difficult region against amazing players and teams in 6A; nothing will come easy. But we have the players, the talent and work ethic to compete and have success.”

Copper Hills does lose a strong group of seniors that Hendrix will miss. It won’t be easy replacing them. Still, Hendrix is confident that he has the pieces to fill in and make 2025 a successful campaign. The Grizzlies bring back six starters next season as well as some reserves who will be ready to take on larger roles. Palafox, Anna Hendrix, Jasmine Cruz, Aerith Gomez, Jemma Rose, Madison Hammond, Aly Tykalsky and Cambri Robinson are the top returners for next year. Anna Hendrix had five goals and six assists this season, while Montejano scored four times and had three assists. Cruz scored two goals and had two assists, and Gomez had a goal and five assists. 

“We graduate some amazing seniors who have had a tremendous impact on our program who won’t be easy to replace,” he said. “However, we have some very capable players who I’m confident will come back next year ready to contribute. I expect the team to continue to compete and have success. We have some areas to improve and seniors to replace, but that will be part of
the fun.” λ