For the last few years, Utah Valley girls soccer has lived in the shadow of its neighbors to the north.

Now the question is, what will Region 7 do for an encore?

The defending champs lost 10 seniors but still has their sights set pretty high.

"This team is a lot different," said Orem head coach Ed Louder. "We have a lot of new players that want their own identity. They were excited to be a part of the run last season but now they feel they have something to prove."

But opponents aren't going to cut them any slack and the team knows it.

"You get that target when you're the state champions in any sport," Louder said. "I like it because it makes you put your best game forward."

The Tigers aren't alone in hoping for success as Mountain View felt like it could've been the team to go all the way last season and Springville isn't satisfied with last fall's tie for the Region 7 title.

"In high school soccer, so much can change from year to year," said Red Devil head coach Ryan Swanson. "Our objective is to win state and though we know it will be tough, that's what we're working and fighting for. Two teams made it deep last year and the same thing can happen for us."

The battle in league play will be intense, while the other 4A schools will be waiting for a chance to regain the championship.

Here's a brief look at each of the Region 7 teams:

Contenders

OREM (5-0-0, 2-0-0)

The Tigers were expected to take a step back with the number of seniors that graduated, but no one has been able to exploit that so far.

"These girls never stop working hard," Louder said. "If one player is having a down game, someone else is there to pick it up."

Orem can still improve its ball possession, but the coach sees them improving each day.

The defense -- anchored by keeper Hilary Smith -- has been perfect, not allowing a single goal. Tanisia Wilson has been the top goal scorer with six so far on the year.

If they keep playing at the same level, the Tigers will be very difficult to knock out of the top spot.

MOUNTAIN VIEW (1-4-0, 1-0-0)

After missing out on a shot at a championship by a few minutes last October, the Bruins have had to deal with injuries thus far in the preseason and are still looking to regain their form.

"We need to get healthy and back in shape," Atuaia said. "Getting a win was a great confidence builder for us. We need to keep working hard together and fight in every game."

Mountain View has some key pieces returning from the successful squad including keeper Aja Domingo, defender Anjie Lines, midfielder Shalayne Janis and forward Stefani Solorzano.

If they get healthy and get the team chemistry where it needs to be, the Bruins might emerge as a dominant squad.

SPRINGVILLE (5-1-0, 2-0-0)

The Red Devils are still smarting from their opening-round playoff loss to Woods Cross last year and are determined to prove they're better than that.

"We have high expectations," Swanson said. "We know it takes more than just winning a region title to prove you can compete at the highest level, but we believe we can compete at that level this year."

Springville has plenty work with starting in the back with keeper Sadie Clements, as well as defender Chase Joyner and forwards Autumn Woods and Alexis Eaton.

The Red Devils have looked strong so far but now have to face teams with equal ability. If they can keep winning close games, the top seed could be theirs.

Darkhorses

PROVO (3-3-0, 0-2-0)

The Bulldogs had the top goal scorer in the state last season in Amber Wadsworth (20 goals) -- and she was just a junior.

She's already gotten off to a hot start with eight goals in the first six games, but she's going to need some help. Her squad has given Mountain View and Springville all it could handle thus far but still lost both contests.

If Provo can get the back line shored up and find another scoring threat, it could compete for the title.

TIMPVIEW (1-2-1, 1-0-0)

The Thunderbirds took on some challenging preseason foes and ran into some difficulty, but anyone who overlooks them in region could be in for a rude awakening.

Laura Sudweeks found the net for the team's first two goals, but Timpview is going to need to put more points on the board to compete in Region 7.

Don't be surprised if their talent and athleticism keeps them right in the thick of things.

Building for next year

PAYSON (1-5-0, 0-2-0)

The Lions picked up an early win and might've been able to get some momentum rolling if they could've held on against Timpview.

Payson has some athletes with players like Katelyn Bateman and Audrey Moffatt but always seems to struggle matching up across the board.

Somewhere along the way, the Lions could easily pick up an upset or two.

TOOELE (2-3-1, 0-2-0)

In their final season as a 4A team, the Buffalos hope to leave a mark on Region 7 but know it won't be easy.

Tooele knocked off Cyprus and Grantsville to get going, but it will be a tough go in league play.

Arica Stewart and Erica Poole will need to keep up the scoring in order for the Buffalos to be competitive.

• Jared Lloyd can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it