ST. GEORGE – At the beginning of September, Dixie’s soccer team looked defeated. They had three losses, two ties and no wins – a disappointing start, especially considering the Flyers went 4-0 in preseason.
But something happened midway through the month. Coach Burt Myers transformed his ball club into a bona fide championship contender. And now, with just two games remaining on the schedule, the Flyers could head into the postseason in the No. 2 spot, right behind Snow Canyon.
“It’s called ‘finishing powder,’” Myers said when asked what special juice he was serving his kids lately. “We were always getting shots, but most of them would bounce off the goal post. They never went in. Now we’re finishing them.”
That finishing touch helped Dixie defeat Cedar 3-0 on Tuesday and Pine View 2-0 on Thursday.
“We’ve worked hard,” Myers said. “Our back line and defense has been great. And when the ball got close to our box, our goalkeeper (Whitney Stephens) was there to make the stop. She’s been great.”
Aubri Challis scored all three goals against Cedar, which in turn gave Dixie the tiebreaker should the two teams end the regular season with identical records.
“We played a very clean game against Cedar,” Myers said. “Challis hit some great shots for us. It’s good to have her striking at this point in the season.”
The bout against Pine View was a different story. The Flyers took control of the game early with a pair of goals from Elle Roberts and Finess White in the first half. The Panthers weren’t able to break through Dixie’s top-notch backfield and ultimately relented the game.
Dixie will next host Snow Canyon on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in a game that will play a large part in deciding the playoff seedings.
“It’s gonna be a battle,” Myers said. “We just want to go out there and play clean and not get hurt.”
Elsewhere in Region 9, Desert Hills beat Canyon View 1-0 for its fourth win on the year. Erica Hansen scored the lone goal, her eighth on the year, in the victory.
Cedar defeated Hurricane 2-0 thanks to Dante Togisala and Nicole Jenkins, who each scored a goal. Tara Shipp recorded her seventh shutout.
As it stands, the Reds have one more game to play – against Pine View on Tuesday.
STANDINGS
W-L-T-Pts
Snow Canyon 9-1-0-27 (Remaining games: @Dixie, Hurricane; secured top spot in Region 9)
Cedar 6-3-2-20 (Remaining games: Pine View)
Dixie 5-3-2-17 (Remaining games: Snow Canyon, @Canyon View; own tie breaker over Cedar and Pine View)
Pine View 4-4-2-14 (Remaining games: @Cedar, @Desert Hills)
Desert Hills 4-4-2-14 (Remaining games: @Hurricane, Pine View)
Hurricane 3-7-0-9 (Remaining games: Desert Hills, @Snow Canyon)
Canyon View 1-10-0-3 (Remaining games: Dixie)
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