October 31, 2026 - 6:36 pm

Momentum has a strange way of choosing sides without warning, a reality Sierra Vista’s girls soccer team was forced to face on Saturday.

The Mountain Lions (18-3) appeared to be in good shape after scoring a first-minute goal, but Palo Verde (17-3) took control a few minutes later and rolled to a dominant 4-1 victory to claim the 4A Southern Region girls soccer championship at Sierra Vista.

Caitlynn Nick scored the tying and go-ahead goals in the second half for the Panthers, who won their 16th consecutive game while ending Sierra Vista’s 17-game streak.

Both teams had already earned state tournament berths before kickoff on Saturday, but Palo Verde nabbed the top Southern seed with the win and will play Northern No. 2 seed Reno in the semifinals Friday. Sierra Vista will enter as the South’s No. 2 and play top-seeded Northern team Galena. All state games will be played at Spring Valley, with the title game scheduled for 10 a.m.…