The Soaring Eagle were untested in Region 8 but have plenty of postseason experience on their side. This week will tell if Juan Diego's self-discipline was enough to stay sharp into the postseason, which

started Wednesday.

On paper, the Juan Diego girls' soccer team is one of the most dominant in 3A. With an 11-3-0 record, including an undefeated 7-0-0 regular season record, the Soaring Eagle cruised to a Region 8 title and earned home-field advantage through the quarterfinals of the state tournament.

But based on the level of opponents they faced in the regular season, coach Jamie Schock isn't ready to look past Wasatch in the first round.

"Wasatch is always a statistically a deep playoff team," said Schock. "This matchup is more something you would see in a quarterfinal or a semifinal game. We definitely have to be ready."

To get ready, Schock has placed a lot of focus on mental discipline over the final weeks of the regular season. The Soaring Eagle was never challenged during the regular season, which made the challenge to stay sharp more of a mental game than a physical one.

"They are excited to play some stronger competition but they are nervous if they are ready," said Schock. "One little hiccup in the state tournament and you're out."

While Schock admits its easy for a team to drop to the level of its opponent, he insists his team has been doing all the right things to avoid a postseason slump.

"We've just started to catch the vision," said Schock.

"Hopefully it's not too late. It's really going to be disappointing for either team to lose. Both of us should make it past the first round."

Brighton

With home-field advantage for three of the past four games, Brighton had fortune on its side in the stretch run. However, the Bengals weren't able to capitalize on the opportunity and surrendered a second-place finish in Region 2 to Skyline with a 1-0 loss in the final game of the regular season.

Despite the setback, Brighton can still say it accomplished something no other team in the state did this year. The Bengals handed Alta its only loss of the season in a 3-2 decision on Oct. 1. After the win, coach Tennille Vance tried to chalk it up as just another much-needed victory.

"It didn't matter who it was," said Vance. "We just couldn't lose."

But anyone who knows girls' soccer in Utah knows that when the Bengals and the Hawks face off, its never just another game.

Alta came away with the win in the first matchup but when the clock ran out on the rematch, the Bengals had narrowly fended off the Hawks' late comeback to add a satisfying blemish to the Hawks previously undefeated record.

Still, the coach tried to make sure her team kept things in perspective.

"It was a huge game, but we didn't win the state championship," said Vance.

Alta

Alta had all the ingredients for an amazing season this year. Not only were the Hawks the two-time state champions, they also had the perfect season until the fateful afternoon when they faced Brighton.

But it was just a game, coach Lee Mitchell said.

"We took the loss like any other game," Mitchell said. "It's always tough to lose, but sometimes it can be a good thing."

But the loss to Brighton doesn't seem to be having much of an effect on the team and it managed to beat Taylorsville and Hillcrest in the last two matchups of region play. As the state playoffs start, Alta was looking to keep the same game plan in effect and, if it does, should have to no problems in the playoffs this year.

"We're not changing anything," Mitchell said. "We've gotten where we are by being a team rather than seeking individual glory. When someone has a problem, someone else steps up."