Only once has a Southern Nevada high school girls soccer team ever won three consecutive state championships. That was Arbor View, which won a state-record five straight Class 4A titles from 2012 to 2016.
This year’s Faith Lutheran squad might become the second.
The new high school girls soccer season begins Thursday. Faith Lutheran is the two-time defending 5A state champion and the Crusaders are the favorite to win a third straight title.
Even Faith Lutheran coach Carl Cort isn’t shy about his optimism for this year’s Crusaders team.
“The core of the team is still very strong,” Cort said. “I’m actually pretty confident again going into this season that I still think that we have the strongest team out there. I don’t know too much on what new additions the other schools have had, but from what I’ve seen in relation to what we still have from last year, I’m very happy.”
Faith Lutheran begins its season Friday and Saturday at the South Tahoe Soccer Showcase in South Lake Tahoe, California. Other 5A challengers Coronado and Bishop Gorman are participating in the event, as is defending 4A state champion Doral Academy.
The Crusaders defeated Coronado 1-0 in overtime last November to win the title on a game-winning penalty kick from returning senior forward Julia Anfinson.
‘A point to prove’
Anfinson is part of Faith Lutheran’s returning core that also includes last season’s 5A player of the year, Kloe Abdalla, a Kansas commit, and Presley Lujan, Kenzie Turner, Sidney Drinkard, and Reagan DeLoney.
“The girls that are returning, they’ve got a point to prove to themselves,” Cort said. “They’ve come back with a high intensity in training. They’ve all come in and they’ve come in flying. I do think they see another opportunity of winning again, which is good.”
The Crusaders graduated nine seniors off last year’s team, and the biggest question will be how the team fills the void of graduating three-year starting goalie Olivia Petty. Cort said the goal for the Tahoe trip is for the team’s chemistry to gel to make another run at the title.
“All of the technical and tactical side of it, that’s all built in,” Cort said. “The most important thing is to make sure that the chemistry is there. That’s one of the biggest reasons why we go out to Tahoe the last two years and we’ve been pretty good in regards to (building chemistry).”
Other 5A contenders
Coronado lost several starters due to graduation, but the Cougars are returning leading scorer Taylor Takahashi (17 goals), first-team All-Southern Nevada defender Ella Schultz and goalie Lilian Foss. The Cougars have appeared in five of the last six state title games in the top classification – all against Faith Lutheran – and are seeking their first title since 2023.
Arbor View beat Faith Lutheran 1-0 in the regular season for the Crusaders’ only loss to a team not named Coronado. The Aggies bring back 5A goalie of the year Emily Marks and first-team all-state forwards Danielle Morales and Sophia Sachs.
“We have a big senior class and the thing about our team is that everyone is good,” Arbor View coach Erica Peeples said. “Everyone has their own role and it’s going to take all of us to do big things this year, and the team’s ready to take on that task.”
Bishop Gorman will look to challenge to get one of the top two spots with returners Aleah Warner, a forward, and goalie Lyvea Caceres. As will Centennial with returning leading goal scorer Alayna Malloy.
5A is a Southern-only classification with eight teams. The top six teams make the playoffs, with the first and second place teams getting byes to the state semifinals.
“Every game is a competitive game (in 5A),” Peeples said. “Every game feels like a playoff game.”
Doral looks to repeat in 4A
The 4A girls soccer title race could be a little more interesting with Doral Academy looking to fend off 29 other teams in the Southern Region and the top Northern Nevada teams for the title.
Doral Academy graduated seven seniors who were multi-year varsity players that helped the program rise to a title-winning team after their first title-game appearance in 2022.
“We built a culture where people know what the expectation is, and that’s in our senior leadership of the kids we have still here,” Doral Academy coach Kurt Divich said. “And the kids coming in, they’re coming into something that was already built and there’s an expectation that they have to perform at a certain level.”
Goal scorer Dasha Rosas and defender Peyton Hedstrom are among Doral Academy’s top returners. The Dragons will face competition from Sierra Vista in their league and other 2025 state qualifier Palo Verde to get one of the South’s two spots for the state tournament.
“The expectation is going to be state championship,” Divich said. “With all the kids that left, there are some very talented kids here coming in and there’s great leaders in place. I’m still very optimistic.”
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.
Top returning girls soccer players
Kloe Abdalla, Faith Lutheran — The senior was named the 2025 Class 5A player of the year by the coaches. She is committed to Kansas.
Julia Anfinson, Faith Lutheran — The senior scored 14 goals for the 5A state champion last season.
Olivia Gastwirth, Palo Verde — The junior was named the 4A Sky League offensive player of the year and scored 34 goals to help the Panthers reach the 2025 4A state tournament.
Emily Marks, Arbor View — The senior was named the 5A goalie of the year in 2025 by the coaches.
Danielle Morales, Arbor View — The senior was a 5A all-state selection and scored seven goals.
Dasha Rosas, Doral Academy — The senior scored 19 goals and added 18 assists to help the Dragons win the 4A Southern Region and state titles.
Ella Schultz, Coronado — The senior defender was a 5A all-state selection for the 5A state runner-up last year.
Taylor Takahashi, Coronado — The junior scored a team-high 17 goals and added seven assists for the 5A state runner-up last year.
