MIRAMONTE 
  
    Once again, head coach Taylor Abbott has a team represented in all four classes with nine seniors, six juniors, three sophomores and three freshmen. “There are a lot of pieces that we’re trying to get to mesh together,” Abbott said. “We’ve learned that we’re a very athletic group.”

    The team started the season winning only one of their first four games but after the nearly month-long holiday break, Abbott made it a point to address the lack of productivity in the team’s offense. “We made tactical adjustments to get more goals and threw some twists in with each game. The offense had not been our strength so far and we’re being more strategic, putting the players in different positions to score higher up the field.”
    Abbott was optimistic about the team’s fortunes, “We were looking forward to starting the year over, figuring out an identity that we didn’t have in December and hit the ground running.”

    Hit the ground running they did. After the slow start, Miramonte has gone 7-0-2, outscoring their opponents 22 to 6 with four shutouts.
    The offense has been led by senior Inara Inesi (7 goals and 7 assists) sophomore Jordan Mathews (5 goals) and freshman Vanessa Carrington (5 goals). Inesi is running the offense from the midfield position. Junior Kate Knight is second on the team in assists. “Kate is already coming into her own,” said Abbott. “She runs around all the time and is willing to put her body out there with really dynamic movement on and off the ball and is hard to mark. We’re still coming together and it’s just working off each other getting into the groove again.”

    The defense, only allowing one goal per game, is led by a solid group of seniors: Taylor Stevens, Camilla White, Kadence Yim, and Sawyer Bohlig. “They are a very strong group and that’s been one of our advantages, having that chemistry.”

    Abbott is using two goalies, junior Talia Kardon, and freshman Kiarra Soong. It has been mostly Kardon but Soong is also getting her time in the net. “Talia is very athletic, has a lot of awareness and knows the game well and brings a lot of experience having been our goalie in the NCS run. Kiarra has shown a willingness to work, has good feet and the ability to communicate with the players in front of her which is a very valuable asset.”

ACALANES 

    It was a unique start to the Acalanes season with their first four wins all shutouts. “We’re a hard-working team that likes a challenge and is very resilient,” head coach Alex Avelar said. “We started off against some really tough Division 1 schools and we more than held our own. The girls want to work hard and they want to win.”

    With a combined 22 juniors and seniors and five freshmen and sophomores, this is a veteran team with some talented underclassmen. “I'm happy with the veteran leadership on the team,” Avelar said. “We have a lot of seniors and most of my backline are returners and they’ve really taken the younger players under their wings and I'm pretty happy about that.”

    The team has suffered a fair number of injuries but has not allowed that to keep them from competing. “With the injuries, we’ve developed a next player up mentality, and they've been filling in the gaps and they’ve been doing well,” Avelar said.

    On offense, the Dons are led by juniors Stella Beuchotte (6 goals), Caroline Tumilty (3 goals),  Grace Eppinger (3 goals) and freshman Averly Ammerman (2 goals).

    “Caroline has had some nice shots outside the 18 and Averly has been an absolute baller that loves a challenge and puts in the work and extra training,” Avelar said. “We just need to shoot the ball. We do a good job in getting up the field and just need somebody that wants it.”

    The defense has been a strength of the team, led by senior co-captains Cathryn McCormick, Edie Berzansky, Tatum Keely, Reese Tierney, and Tori Hiatt. “All my captains have been great leaders and have done well on defense but I’m looking for somebody to take over up top as well,” Avelar said.
    Sophomores Alexa Bantique and Maria Statnikova have both seen time in the goal, but with Bantique missing time with an ankle injury, Statnikova has been the primary goalie. “Maria has good size and range,” Avelar said. “She’s vocal and physical. Alexa has also done well and is someone who is very calm under pressure.”

    The team is coming together having won their last three league games. “Our non-league games were pretty hard against the big schools so hopefully during league games it comes together and we have a good chance of winning every game, and that’s our goal. The strength of our team is obviously on defense and it’s just a matter of the chemistry coming together.”

CAMPOLINDO

    After graduating 12 seniors, Campolindo has a well-balanced class of seven seniors, four juniors, six sophomores and five freshmen with only two senior starters.

    Coming into the season, head coach Luis Pinto knew that it was going to take time for the team to come together. “We’re a very young team that just needs more games and experience. They've been practicing really hard and the Christmas break was good for us. It really brought us all together, and we were able to work on the things that needed work.”

    The leaders on offense have been senior Carina Trento who is leading the team with four assists, junior Zoe Lehrman, and freshmen Emma Jensen and Mackinsey Lee, who has scored 5 goals, and junior Maya Barrett on the left wing. “Carina is a very dynamic player that can play defense, midfield, and center forward. She has good speed and is very technical. As a four-year player and a captain of the team, she’s working with that pressure and it makes her compete and set the tone and energy for everybody else,” Pinto said. “Mackinsey is also playing on the basketball team. She is very athletic and we do our best to help her out in playing two sports to avoid burnout as she is very competitive and a key part for each team. Maya is a left wing and also very athletic who is strong on the one-on-ones. She is a lefty so is a natural left winger.”

    It’s a young midfield with freshmen Greta Welcome, Avery Corey, and Ava Sytz, who is leading the team with 6 goals. “With so many young players, our offense is still a work in progress,” Pinto said. “We’ve got to get them the experience to start breaking through the years as we generally have a small tryout team. I’m proud of this team and we just have got to work and keep coming together.”

    The backline is very young with Ella Harris, a co-captain at right back and Isabella Domingo at left back. “They both bring game maturity and discipline, knowing when to stop and not stop, giving me a lot of security. Their experience helps the freshman center back Maddie Powell, left back Emma Jensen, and Greta Welcome.” 

    Junior Lindsay Foster is the starting goalie. “Lindsay has done really well adapting to what we demand. I think for the goalkeeper every year is a little different because the back line is changing. She’s a great shot blocker and reads the game really well.” 

    Despite a 4-8-2 record, Pinto has seen improvement as the season has evolved. “With so many young players, the challenge every year is to bring together our players that come from different club teams and coaches within those teams. It’s a matter of just getting them to understand what we are doing so we have to start from zero and it’s getting the girls to learn a new system and to play a strong role on the team. They can be role players or impact players, though we’re always looking for everybody to be an impact player.”  The team has come together, winning their last three games with two more league games to play.