Girls searching for respect in Division I

WENDY PIERRO/Acorn Newspapers POINT-BLANK RANGE—Simi Valley High's Catherine Sandoval rips a shot on goal during practice. The Marmonte League gets no respect—at least when it comes to girls' soccer.

Despite three of the final four teams representing the league in the CIFSouthern Section Division II playoffs last year, including section champion Thousand Oaks High, the Marmonte had no teams represented in the CIF-SS Division I coaches' poll when the season began.

"The Ventura County teams tend to get shortchanged in these polls, so it's pretty typical," Royal head coach Kevin Corley said.

"I know we're new to Division I, but come on. Not even Thousand Oaks? They were section champs last year."

Thousand Oaks head coach Geoff Raives agreed.

"It wasn't just our team that hasn't made the polls," Raives said. "Agoura and Moorpark haven't made it either.

"I feel the league has been disrespected a little bit, but it may be because we moved from Division II to Division I. We're still unknown to the Division I atmosphere, and there are a lot of great teams in Division I."

Moorpark head coach Frank Paletta believes the Marmonte will represent itself well in Division I.

"The league is absolutely going to be tougher than ever to win," Paletta said. "Any one of the eight teams, and I mean any one of the eight teams, can win it this year."

Thousand Oaks opens as the league's favorite.

The Lancers lost key players, such as two-time Marmonte League Goalkeeper of the Year Laura Brain and standout Nicole Cruz, but TOHS also has a strong returning class.

"Their front four is just unbelievable," Simi Valley head coach Mark Johnson said. "They might have the best offense in the league."

The Lancers' offensive attack is led by returning seniors Sam Rivera, Mary Madden, Megan Myer and Alyson Birgel, as well as junior Michelle Cruz.

Raives said the Lancers have an explosive offense, but the defense needs to improve.

"We have a whole new backline and a new goalkeeper in senior Amanda Albi," Raives said. "With a lot of new players on defense, a key will be how quickly we come together as a group."

Challenging Thousand Oaks for the top spot will be Moorpark, which lost to the Lancers in last season's section title match. The Musketeers lost league Most Valuable Player Kaitlin Paletta to graduation, but like TOHS, the Musketeers also return a solid core of players.

MHS brings back seniors Kayla Costa and Amanda Viescas, as well as juniors Alisa Reich, Kat Prati, Stacy Fujikuni, Ariana Martinez and sophomore Sami Page.

Coach Paletta said Moorpark is already ahead of schedule.

"After getting to the final game last year, the team wants to get back," he said. "They are much more competitive and intense than they were at this point of the season a year ago."

After losing to Moorpark in the semifinals, Agoura may see a decline in wins due to the squad losing nine seniors to graduation. A talented group of newcomers, however, has Charger head coach Mike Skene feeling optimistic.

"We still have high hopes," Skene said. "But for that to happen, we need a high level of play, not just from our sophomores, but also from our freshmen."

Agoura only has four seniors on the roster, including Michelle Manning, who should be in contention for the MVP award.

"It's very possible Michelle is the most skilled player in the league," Skene said. "She's technically proficient, very fast, and she plays with a great imagination. She seems to see the field better than anyone."

Other key players for Agoura include seniors Taryn Kurcz, Kelsey Reichow, Melanie Menin and junior Rachel Martinez.

With solid underclassmen such as sophomores Gina Goryoka, Emily Kenney and Jessica Ramirez, as well as freshmen Lydia Bowman, Julie Watson, Brooke Held and Taylor C'Debaca, AHS may be a year away.

Royal should be in the running for a playoff spot thanks to their own MVP candidate, senior midfielder Diana Ohrt. Ohrt is coming off knee surgery, but Corley hopes the senior can play when league begins next week.

"She's a game-changer," Corley said of Ohrt. "All the teams know about her, and once she's healthy, she's going to be tough to stop."

While the news is good with Ohrt's injury, the same can't be said about junior goalkeeper Heather Haney. Haney had shoulder surgery last week and is expected to miss the remainder of the season. Juniors Jennifer Stone and Hannah Brimer will try to replace her.

Other Highlanders that will make an impact include junior defender Madisen Hasenauer and Kelly Habroun, who Corley expects to be a top scorer.

After making the first round of the playoffs for the first time in nearly two decades, Newbury Park now feels confident it can compete for a league title.

"In the past, our team has been seen as underdogs, but after making the playoffs last year the girls made a goal of winning league this year," Panther head coach Kelly Zieger said.

"It won't be a cakewalk, and we're going to have to work really hard, but I feel they can do it."

Zieger believes the Panthers' biggest strength is their depth.

"We have 18 girls on the roster, and every single one of them really earned their spot," Zieger said. "I will look down my bench and not be worried about sending someone in and having it change the pace of the game."

Key players for NPHS include junior midfielders Jordyn Zander and Devry Reitz, sophomore forwards Lyndsey Preston and Lindsay Vesling, and sophomore center Morgan Valenzuela. Junior Kylie Hall returns as goalkeeper.

Simi Valley hasn't made the playoffs since 2003, but Johnson is hoping his squad can end that streak. Johnson, in his 30th year at the helm for Simi Valley, said the key to the Pioneers' success will be offensive production.

"We can't win games 10 anymore," Johnson said. "We need our girls to score goals. So far this season we've been doing that."

Johnson will look to players such as senior Lindsey McClellan, as well as juniors Rochelle Duffau and Samantha Gavirati, to play well. Seniors Kaylee Finnan, Stephanie Mankey, Savanna Panetta and Jessi Sampogna are also expected to contribute.

While Simi Valley nurses a long playoff drought, Westlake ended a nineyear streak of making the postseason when it finished in fifth place a year ago.

Westlake head coach Frank Marino is confident the Warriors will compete but admits the team is young and will make mistakes.

"We're going to play some really good games this season, and we're going to play some really bad ones," Marino said. "I'm just hoping we can learn from our mistakes and continue to grow as a team."

Top offensive players for Westlake include junior Nicole Gilbert, Bridget Berman and Andrea Todak. Senior Jaclyn Jacobson, as well as junior Sara Riazi and her freshman sister, Bianca, are capable of providing a spark for WHS.

Alexandra Altman will be Westlake's goalkeeper.

After missing the playoffs a year ago, Calabasas turned the program over to a new head coach, Laura Heifner. Heifner replaces Katie Maxwell.

Top players for Calabasas include defender Michelle Miller, sweeper Lauren Busansky, midfielder Jamie Fink and goalkeeper Gabby Kaufman.