Photos by Stephen Dachman
The 2008-09 Moore League girls’ soccer season taught us all three things. One, a solid group of seniors can carry you a long way. Two, you can’t get away with anything, because everyone is watching. And three, the CIFSS playoff bracket is tough, like really really tough.
Last season, Poly jumped on the back of the ’09 senior class and won the league title. Meanwhile, Wilson had to forfeit league games because of an ineligible player. And when the top four teams made it to the playoffs, they were all very unceremoniously ousted in the first round.
In the upcoming 2009-10 season, the story remains the same. Everyone is still watching everyone, and this time around it might be all eyes on the second-place race as it’s Wilson with the solid group of seniors…
WILSON
In the 2007-08 season, a young group of Bruins shocked the CIF bracket and come out the other end as National Champions. This year, that group is entering their senior season with one thing on the mind: a second CIF crown.
Emily Dillon, Kristyn Benavidez, Kim Marshall, Kim Albeno, Brittany Vaughn, Krosby Pabst, Renee Mendiola and Kaitlin Hellmann all got quality playing time when Wilson went all the way, and head coach Jason Kirkwood is expecting big things again from this extremely talented group.
Dillon—widely considered the best player in the Moore League—will lead the Wilson offense before she heads to West Virginia next season. “(Emily) is the type of player that makes the other team hold their breath… she is just so skilled on the ball,” says Kirkwood. “She just doesn’t turn the ball over and she makes the team so much better.” The senior led the team in assists last year and was awarded Moore League Offensive Player of the Year.
Long Beach State-bound Benavidez will be running the outside offensively where she, “can go by anyone, and has a deceptively hard shot,” according to Kirkwood. But as skilled as the Bruins are up top, they might be the most talented in the middle.
Marshall and Hellmann run the midfield with a physical presence and both are key to the possession-minded and powerful Wilson style. Marshall—headed to Wake Forrest—might be the best in the air in the Moore League, and has a cannon for a leg that she can put on net from 35-yards out. Hellmann—headed to TCU—covers so much ground during a game that Kirkwood calls her, “the workhorse. She runs like a gazelle.” The senior can work well in the box on offense, but she can also mark anyone from end-line to end-line.
With all that skill on the field, Kirkwood knows that the team chemistry could be the most important thing this year. “If this team can gel at the right time, and learn to win as a team, we can do some things this year. But as always, it’s one game at a time.”
POLY
If at first you don’t succeed, get them in the second round. Last season with the most talented and experienced senior class in Long Beach, the Jackrabbits took the Moore League crown in a roundabout way. They were up 1-0 in the first round of play on the road at Wilson, but the Bruins scored twice in the last ten minutes to steal the victory. So in the second round of play the Jackrabbits played their best game of the season, scored three quick goals, and held off another late run to beat the Bruins for the first time since 2004. Two weeks later, Wilson would forfeit games, and Poly became outright Moore League Champions instead of co-champions.
This season with a giant target on their backs, the Jackrabbits might completely flip the script. Last year they racked up 18 shutouts—a school record— and this year they might set a record for goals scored. “We’re so dynamic on offense,” says head coach Teri Collins. “We’ve scored in all of our games so far this year and that’s against some very quality opponents.”
As of today, the Jackrabbits are 3-3 after some rain-soaked Aliso Cup matches this weekend against those “quality opponents.” All of that without last year’s Moore League Defensive Player of the Year, Keyana Thompson-Shaw. The senior had ACL surgery in the off-season and participated in full practice for the first time on Monday. Collins will get her a few minutes on Thursday against Jordan, and she hopes to be ready to go in the Excalibur Tournament.
Leading the way for Poly up front is Jazmine Rhodes. “There was some uncertainty as to who would step up after we lost that great senior class… (Jazmine) has become a true leader,” says Collins. “She ignites this team with her personality and her play… she can pick up a fellow player and change the game with her physical ability.”
A team that’s “dynamic on offense” and a Defensive Player of the Year returning, the Jackrabbits are hoping for a two-team race like last season.
LAKEWOOD
The Lancers and head coach Scott Manson have reason to be excited. “Experience is key,” says Manson. “This year we have some, and that makes the difference.”
Lakewood won the tournament and league they were in this summer, and with the wins came much needed playing time for a young squad that showed signs late last season of great things to come.
There are perfect examples of that wholesale team improvement everywhere, like with Priscilla Perez and Amanda Bolanos on the back line. The junior and sophomore didn’t start any games last year, and when Perez did play, “She was just a little nervous, and that took her out of her game,” says Manson. But with the experience this summer, Manson pointed to Perez at center half and Bolanos on the back line as players who’ve impressed him.
Those two and the rest of the defense will be protecting senior Jen Carey, the returning goalkeeper. Last year, a lack confidence and splitting time in net diminished her confidence, but this year after a great summer and three stops in a shootout with Glendora last weekend.
Even up front on offense, sophomore Kendahl Fisher will use the varsity gained last year and this summer to continue to feed the offense. Fisher looked a lot more comfortable and played extremely well during the second round of Moore League play last season.
All that young talent hopes to continue the steady improvement, but according to Manson, “we’ll go as Kassidy Hause takes us.” The senior is the offensive leader and if she can score 25+ goals, the Lancers could surprise some people.
CABRILLO
For a team that finished in third last season–the highest-ever finish for the Cabrillo girls’ soccer team, who qualified for the playoffs for the first time ever as well–the Jags have taken their lumps in the preseason, as coach Jorge Polanco tried to work in a new formation. Instead, he says he’s going to stick to basics–and with the way they finished last year, as well as 16 returners from last year’s varsity team (and only five of those returners seniors), the “same ol, same ol” is looking like a very positive thing at Cabrillo.
In fact, the Jags lost just one key player off last year’s historic team–but what a historic player Claudia Toledo was, with 91 goals and 44 assists in her career (Toledo is a standout at LBCC). “Some of our young guns have to be ready to step it up,” says Polanco.
In a scant, talented group of seniors Cabrillo has Leslie Navarro, last year’s Moore League goalkeeper of the year, as well as returning All-League center-back Kathren Gonzalez. Behind them are a deep group of young players that Polanco will look for to come together over the course of the season. He has 10 sophomores and five juniors on the roster–there’s also Melina Ramos, a very good, unknown junior who had to sit all last year because of grades. Polanco is expecting those Jags to be impact players–if they can excel, and continue to pave the way for the younger players, they won’t be just impacting this year. They’ll be impacting the future of Cabrillo soccer.
MILLIKAN
Call it the rough road, the slings and arrows or taking the lumps. Whatever it is, it’s exactly what the Rams experienced last season, and they’re still getting over it. Head coach Dave Christensen had to piece together a starting line up with a squad beset my injury, and the season result of 4-6-2 reflected the struggle.
Early in the 2009-10 season, the Rams have taken on some tough OC teams, and feel a lot more prepared for the league schedule. “We’re stronger than last year, and we’re going to come out and play people straight up.”
Millikan will rely heavily on the maturation of Kelly Johnson. The sophomore forward is the first Irvine Striker (a gold level club team) that Christensen has had on his any of teams since arriving at Snowden Ave.
The Rams also hope to see big things from sophomore Katelin Fricke and senior goalkeeper Amanda Tuiloma. “We’re much improved, but it’s going to take a lot of good soccer to change the culture. I think this team has it in them.”