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Sandia Prep’s Girls Varsity Soccer team has captured its fourth consecutive state title.

The team took a 4-0 victory over Cottonwood Classical Prep in the Girls 1A-3A Championship game at the UNM Soccer Complex on Nov. 8.

Under Coach Matt Westerlund, the girls soccer team has won seven of the last eight state titles. The program has 13 state titles altogether – the second most in New Mexico girls soccer history, behind La Cueva.

Senior Bridget Hurley ’25 made a free kick that gave the Sundevils the lead heading into halftime.

“I think it really did change the momentum. It really helped us to be able to put more goals in the net (later in the game),” Hurley told the Albuquerque Journal. “And I think it’s better to go into the half being up than being tied.”

Hurley scored again in the 46th minute. Four minutes later, sophomore Ava Payne '27 scored to make it 3-0. Junior Rylie Elison '26 provided the final goal.

“The telltale sign of a team of quality, of perseverance, is one that’s able to weather adversity and be able to organize themselves,” Westerlund told the Journal. “And that’s what happened at halftime … I think during the entire second half, we really dictated the kind of play that we’ve been doing all year.”

Westerlund recalled this group taking their lumps as eighth-graders during the COVID season.

“They were the ones that were put into the true inferno of playing a really tough schedule within two and a half weeks before we literally played state,” he told the Journal. “And the defeat to St. Mike’s was what they needed to say, ‘Hey, we’re not gonna feel this again.’”

Hurley expressed gratitude for ending her high school career with another blue trophy.

“I’m glad that we are able to do this with this team,” she told the Journal. “We’ve been working for this for all four years that I’ve been here, and it just feels really good to have my last one be a state championship again.”