ALL-NORTH COAST SECTION
Player of the Year
SYDNEY SHEPHERD, MONTE VISTA
By NATE SMITH
Prep2Prep
Having allowed just seven goals all season, it’s safe to say that Monte Vista used a special defense as the backbone for the Mustangs’ run to North Coast Section and Northern California Division I titles. And at the heart of that defense was the top center back in the region, Michigan-bound Sydney Shepherd.
It’s not often that a defender makes her way to the top of the list for Player of the Year honors, but players like Shepherd are also a rare occurance, also earning MVP honors for the East Bay Athletic League. And as the Mustangs turned back opposing offenses with regularity – at one point notching eight straight shutouts late in the season – Shepherd kept her unit working with cohesion, much like a coach on the field or super glue strengthening a bond.
“Sydney did a great job setting everything up as our center back,” said Monte Vista coach Chris Lum. “She is so technically sound, and her intelligence on the field is so incredibly high. Her combined package is just tremendous. And she was extremely vocal on defense – she talks way more on the field than off the field.”
Shepherd did not just impress her own coach throughout the season, but rather left an indelible mark on each team Monte Vista encountered, especially the Archbishop Mitty team which the Mustangs defeated twice, including the CIF NorCal title game.
“(Sydney) was certainly the defender who impressed me most during the season,” remarked Mitty coach JT Hanley. “With the way we were able to score this year, any defense which could keep us off the scoreboard in two matches certainly worked for that success, and deserves any accolades they receive.”
Despite playing the key role of center back for the Mustangs’ phenomenal defense, Shepherd was also able to make the occasional impact on offense, scoring four goals to go with three assists. That included goals in an NCS playoff win over Irvington and a NorCal victory over Palo Alto. For all her assets across the field, it’s also fair to say that Shepherd has not yet come close to her ceiling as a player.
“Her athleticism and competitive spirit is off the charts, and she just has this presence about her. She has unbelievable potential,” Lum said. “She also has a tremendous personality for a leader.”
Her leadership skills became a key asset for Monte Vista right at the conclusion of the 2017 season, when a young Mustangs team was blown out by eventual NCS champion Liberty in the semifinals. The loss was a turning point for this year’s team, which was unbeaten on the field, and especially for Shepherd, as she approached her senior campaign.
“Sydney is very unique and charismatic, but she is also typically very nonchalant as an individual,” Lum commented. “But she showed tremendous emotion after the loss to Liberty last year, and she refused to let anyone put their heads down. Because of her usually laid-back approach, she grips people when she gets fired up, and that was one of those moments. She had already set higher goals for this year’s team.”
For her efforts throughout the season, we are pleased to honor Sydney Shepherd as our North Coast Section Player of the Year.
Coach of the Year
CHRIS LUM, MONTE VISTA
Monte Vista's Chris Lum is the choice for Prep2Prep NCS Coach of the Year.
By NATE SMITH
Prep2Prep
Over the past two seasons, there was a sense that the Monte Vista girls’ soccer program was once again maturing, building towards another breakthrough year and an eighth section title. That sense came to fruition in 2018, as the Mustangs steamrolled past every opponent it faced, capturing a North Coast Section Division I title and then adding a Northern California Division I championship in the first-ever CIF soccer tournament.
With second-year head coach Chris Lum at the helm, the Mustangs made back-to-back statements in mid-December, posting a 3-1 victory over Carondelet and then a stunning 7-0 win over Liberty the following day, serving notice to the rest of the section as they dispatched the two finalists from the 2017 section playoffs. A week later, at the Tri-Valley Classic, Monte Vista took down Archbishop Mitty 1-0, which would prove to be the only regular season loss for the eventual CCS Open Division champion Monarchs.
The scary thing for the rest of Northern California is that while this team has gotten used to playing with one another over the past couple seasons, the Mustangs only graduate a couple key pieces from this championship group. This year’s standout seniors were Michigan-bound defender Sydney Shepherd and UCSB-bound Sarah Arnaudon, but the leadership roles extended throughout the team.
“We really had a combination of senior leadership, and other high level players who are just true, natural leaders, players like (sophomore) Julia Leontini and (junior) Erika Braun,” Lum said. “Our players responded to our leaders. There was never an undercurrent of not being satisfied with their roles. There was no ‘what about me’ factor with this team, and with so much talent and depth, there could have been.”
The depth that Lum and co-head coach Karen Huether have built might be most evident in cases such as Leontini, who emerged on the varsity this season, and is already verbally committed to Stanford. Also, the value of every player’s role was stressed by the staff, getting completely buy-in even from the two seniors who did not see as much playing time, Faith Leung and Sydney Parker, but yet still made the most of their opportunities on the field by adding goals in wins over Dougherty Valley, Liberty, and Irvington.
In discussing one of the primary differences with this year’s team, Lum was quick to credit Huether, who came up from last year’s junior varsity coaching staff.
“Karen was tremendously impactful, just a great female role model for this team,” Lum added. “We would not have been the same were it not for her. She set tremendous examples for the girls and for myself.”
By the time the playoffs rolled around, Monte Vista had already gone undefeated in the rugged EBAL. Yet, the Mustangs were poised for more, and rolled past Irvington, Liberty, California, and Carondelet to earn the NCS Division I title. The victory also gave them the top seed in the first-ever CIF NorCal Division I playoff bracket, and they opened with a dominating 6-0 win over Palo Alto.
Carondelet put forth a stiff challenge in the semifinals, but Monte Vista emerged with a 2-1 victory, which set up a rematch with Mitty in the regional championship. This time, sophomore Megan Edelman provided the game-winning goal in the second half, enabling the Mustangs to claim the undisputed crown of Northern California soccer.
For his efforts in guiding the Mustangs to this pinnacle of achievements, we are pleased to recognize Chris Lum as our North Coast Section Coach of the Year.
Other coaches considered include Carondelet’s Amy Apodaca, Maria Carrillo’s Debra LaPrath, and Branson’s Tyler Gottschalk.
FIRST TEAM ALL-NCS
Nye Day, Branson
Position: Forward
Year: Senior
The first-team All-MCAL selection and Marin IJ Player of the Year was instrumental in getting the Bulls back to the NCS Division IV title game, where they won their third straight section title. For the year, Day notched 26 goals and 14 assists, including an assist in the NCS title game win over Piedmont, and goals in both the NorCal Division II win over River City and in the NorCal title game loss to Woodland.
Lexi Romero, Livermore
Position: Forward
Year: Senior
The Prep2Prep Senior of the Year, the Air Force commit carried the Cowboys back to the NCS Division II title game with her 26 goals and nine assists. The first-team All-EBAL selection also played big against the best competition, scoring the game-winning goal in a NCS semifinal victory over top seed Montgomery, and then scoring the final goal of her high school career in a NorCal Division II quarterfinal victory over Roseville.
Ceci Brien, Piedmont
Position: Foward
Year: Sophomore
A rising star for the WACC-Foothill champions, Brien drove the Highlanders’ offense this season, notching 24 goals and six assists, leading Piedmont to a NCS Division IV title game appearance in the process. Her performance in the post-season was impeccable, scoring the game-winner in a 1-0 quarterfinal victory over Urban, two of the Highlanders’ goals in a 3-0 semifinal win over Sonoma Academy, and the only regulation goal in a shootout loss to Branson in the final.
Megan Edelman, Monte Vista
Position: Foward
Year: Sophomore
Seemingly the bigger the stage, the better the performance from this first-team All-EBAL selection, who is also the Prep2Prep Sophomore of the Year. There is no doubt that Edelman’s biggest goal of the year was the game-winner against Archbishop Mitty in the NorCal Division I championship game, but with 21 goals and 10 assists this season, there were plenty of highlights. She also scored in the Mustangs’ NorCal quarterfinal win over Palo Alto, and scored twice in a big 3-0 win over California late in the regular season.
Laura Fuentes, Newark Memorial
Position: Midfield
Year: Senior
The Most Valuable Player in the Mission Valley Athletic League for the second year in a row, Fuentes notched 19 goals to go with 14 assists, and carried the Cougars to the Division II quarterfinals with her second half game-winning goal in a 1-0 first-round victory over Bishop O’Dowd. She had 29 goals and 20 assists over the past two seasons, and is headed to play for UC Irvine.
Nikki Trucco, California
Position: Midfield
Year: Junior
The first-team All-EBAL selection and Cal Poly commit notched 16 goals and three assists, despite garnering the primary attention of every defense the Grizzlies faced. She had multiple game-winning goals throughout the year, being the only Cal player to find the back of the net on five different occasions.
Ellie Ospeck, Carondelet
Position: Midfield
Year: Sophomore
Described by other coaches around the EBAL as a fantastic playmaker, Ospeck was a first-team All-EBAL selection after registering 15 goals and 18 assists this season. She had the game-winning goal and an assist in the 2-1 NorCal Division I victory over Davis, and the only goal in a regional semifinal loss to Monte Vista.
Hannah Deljkic, Monte Vista
Position: Midfield
Year: Junior
The first-team All-EBAL midfielder was equally adept at creating for herself as she was delivering opportunities to her teammates. She finished the year with 12 goals and 16 assists, including a goal against Palo Alto in the NorCal Division I quarterfinals. In two matches against previous defending NCS champion Liberty, Deljkic notched five assists, and also recorded a trio of assists during a 6-1 win over eventual Sac-Joaquin Division I champion Buchanan.
Sydney Shepherd, Monte Vista
Position: Defender
Year: Senior
Arguably the premier defender in all of Northern California, the University of Michigan commit earned high praise from every team who saw her play and anchored a defense which allowed just seven goals against for the entire season. For good measure, the EBAL MVP added four goals and three assists in her offensive opportunities.
Kamryn Farro, Livermore
Position: Defender
Year: Junior
Farro was one of the elite defenders in both the EBAL and in Northern California, earning first-team EBAL honors after anchoring a unit which allowed just one goal in its last five matches during the post-season. She was also accurate with her corner kicks, registering seven assists for the year.
Devin Lozano, Carondelet
Position: Defender
Year: Senior
The first-team All-EBAL selection was a four-year varsity player for the Cougars, and the anchor for a defense which allowed an average of just one goal per match despite playing against top competition on a national level. The Cal-committed Lozano also contributed offensively this season, notching four goals to go with six assists.
Ellie Flad, Tamalpais
Position: Goalkeeper
Year: Sophomore
Flad was the force in goal for a Red-Tailed Hawks team which allowed just nine goals, posting an astronomical 19 clean sheets for the year. Even when she did allow a goal in regulation, such as during the MCAL title game against Branson, she came up big during penalty kicks to preserve the win for Tam.
SECOND TEAM ALL-NCS
Kaytlin Brinkman, Freedom
Position: Forward
Year: Senior
Despite playing at less than full health during the latter part of the season, the co-MVP of the BVAL led the Falcons with 20 goals scored, including key tallies during January victories over both Heritage and Liberty. Brinkman is headed to play next season at Saint Mary’s College.
Sarah Mirr, Foothill
Position: Forward
Year: Senior
A four-year varsity standout for the Falcons, Mirr made every one of her 12 goals and six assists count this season. Her goals included early-season game-winners against both Granada and Newark Memorial, though one of her biggest goals resulted in a draw against Archbishop Mitty. She also scored the only goal in a draw with Livermore, and scored twice, including a game-winner against Amador Valley.
Cassidy Tshimbalanga, Carondelet
Position: Forward
Year: Senior
Her season ended prematurely after a January 25 match against Dougherty Valley, due to an ACL injury, and Tshimbalanga would have certainly been a first-team selection had she been healthy in the final month and a half. As it was, the UCLA commit notched 21 goals in just 20 matches played.
Hannah Halford, Redwood
Position: Forward
Year: Senior
The driving force offensively for the Giants, Halford scored 19 goals to go with 16 assists, including the game-winner in a playoff victory over rival Tamalpais to reach the section semifinals. She also scored two of Redwood’s three goals in a first-round playoff win over Casa Grande.
Kitana Gonzalez, Maria Carrillo
Position: Forward
Year: Senior
The first-team All-NBL striker was prolific all season, scoring 28 goals with eight assists, but was especially impactful late in the year. Gonzalez produced the game-winning goal in the 1-0 NCS Division II title game win over Livermore, and again in a NorCal Division II first-round win over Sobrato. In fact, she scored in all of the Pumas’ post-season victories, including two goals each in playoff wins over Alameda and Redwood.
Lily Arbabaraghi, Monte Vista
Position: Midfield
Year: Junior
The attacking mid was part of an explosive Mustangs’ attack, and contributed in key spots throughout the year for Monte Vista, which is why she makes our second team, matching her second-team All-EBAL honors. Arbabaraghi had 15 goals and six assists this year, and shined down the stretch, scoring four times during the NCS playoffs, including a pair of goals in a quarterfinal win over Liberty, and another goal in the Division I title game win over Carondelet, who she scored against twice in a regular-season victory.
Keely Roy, Cardinal Newman
Position: Midfield
Year: Junior
The attacking mid was a first-team All-NBL selection after leading the Cardinals to a CIF NorCal Division III championship. She was especially effective in the post-season, scoring in all three NorCal matches, including the only goal in a 1-0 semifinal win over Sacred Heart Cathedral and both goals in the 2-1 title game win over Bradshaw Christian. Roy finished the year with 15 goals and nine assists.
Candace Hillegas, Maria Carrillo
Position: Defender
Year: Senior
The University of San Francisco commit anchored a defense which carried the Pumas to a NCS Division II title, shutting out their final seven opponents during the season. Carrillo allowed just 12 goals in 24 matches, with Hillegas patrolling the back line, and seven of those 12 goals came in early December. She was named Defensive Player of the Year for the North Bay League.
Grace Radeski, Montgomery
Position: Defender
Year: Senior
The Nevada-bound Radeski was a first-team All-NBL selection for the Vikings, leading Montgomery to a league title and a trip to the section semifinals. The Vikings allowed just 17 goals in 22 matches, and four of those were in a season-opening loss to SJS powerhouse Davis. She also kicked for the Montgomery football team in the fall.
Sophia Runte, Las Lomas
Position: Defender
Year: Senior
Runte was named Defensive Player of the Year in the DAL-Foothill, after leading the Knights to an unbeaten mark in league play, and advancing to the Division II quarterfinals. With the four-year standout leading the back line, Las Lomas allowed just 19 goals in 19 matches. Runte also scored five goals, including a key tally in the 2-0 playoff win over Arroyo.
Athena Manthouli, Branson
Position: Goalkeeper
Year: Senior
Manthouli posted an amazing 23 clean sheets this season, as Branson captured the NCS Division IV title and reached the title game of the CIF NorCal Division II playoffs. And her best work came in the section championship game, stopping four of five penalty kicks, including three in a row as the Bulls downed Piedmont in a shootout.
THIRD TEAM ALL-NCS
Position: Forwards
Susanna Garcia (Heritage), Kenzie Bray (Ukiah), Carly Agostini (Alhambra), Callie Jones (Branson), Cindy Arteaga (Montgomery), Jasmine Safarians (College Park), Tara Bradley (Las Lomas)
Position: Midfielders
Molly Murphy (Amador Valley), Sarah Arnaudon (Monte Vista), Taylor Noval (Foothill), Eliana Prosnitz (Branson), Reilly Johnson (Tamalpais), Molly Ikeya (Campolindo)
Position: Defenders
Emily Wright (California), Payton Raun (Foothill), Charlotte Johnson (Tamalpais)
HONORABLE MENTION:
ACALANES:
Emily Smith
ALAMEDA:
Rachel Wellman, Katrina Eichel
ALBANY:
Grace McRory
ALHAMBRA:
Jalyn Conden
AMADOR VALLEY:
Julia Gonsman, Kieran Wallace
ANALY:
Claire Brown
ANTIOCH:
Alexis Xaysana
ARROYO:
Jocelyn Hernandez
BEREAN CHRISTIAN:
Samantha Gotz, Molly Kolander
BERKELEY:
Elle McDougald
BISHOP O'DOWD:
Grace Porter
BRANSON:
Maegen Dillon, Marina Andreadis
CALIFORNIA:
Ashley Franza, Lexi Trucco, Abby Pokrzywinski
CARDINAL NEWMAN:
Claire Hernandez, Paige Foster
CARONDELET:
Rory Biles, Natalie Ospeck
CASA GRANDE:
Sabrina Appling, Gizela Carranza
CASTRO VALLEY:
Amaya Tomlinson, Alyssa Vigallon
CLAYTON VALLEY CHARTER:
Holly Gallagher, Emily Kaleal
COLLEGE PARK:
Marianna Giovannetti, Natalia Leroux
CONCORD:
Emily Hockenberry
DE ANZA:
Nadia Maldonado
DEER VALLEY:
Sophia Villanueva
DOUGHERTY VALLEY:
Lauren Hsu
DRAKE:
Sadie Cudd
DUBLIN:
Bekah Valdez
EL CERRITO:
Raniyah Burton
ENCINAL:
Gabby Gustafsson
FOOTHILL:
Megan Guerra
FREEDOM:
Nicole Kwasny, Kylie Schneider
GRANADA:
Kailee Haskins
HAYWARD:
Vanessa Lopez, Yamilie Ramirez
HEAD-ROYCE:
Nadia Ngom, Kacy Stoddard
HERCULES:
Ariana Romero
HERITAGE:
Fiona Valdillez, Cheryl Salgado
JAMES LOGAN:
Vanessa Mejia, Aundria Vargas
IRVINGTON:
Kimya Ganjooi
KENNEDY-FREMONT:
Haley Chitwood
LAS LOMAS:
Katelyn Beasley, Kelsey Thompson
LIBERTY:
Kylie Zentner, Aveena Cline
LICK-WILMERDING:
Carly Brown
LIVERMORE:
Alyssa Silva
MARIA CARRILLO:
Megan Sullivan, Alyiah Shields
MARIN ACADEMY:
Jazz McClinton, Liza Kinney
MARIN CATHOLIC:
Taylor Martin
MIRAMONTE:
Taylor Walthall, Olivia Grillo
MONTE VISTA:
Julia Leontini, Rachel Anderson
MONTGOMERY:
Gabby Albavera, Micky Rosenbaum
MOREAU CATHOLIC:
Jolie Poulet
MT. DIABLO:
Daniela Estrada
MT. EDEN:
Andrea Villanueva
NEWARK MEMORIAL:
Brianna Santillan, Jessica Novak
NORTHGATE:
Rochelle Arnold, Julia Hagedorn
NOVATO
Erin Brown
PIEDMONT:
Avi Beihn, Ellie Coleman
PINOLE VALLEY:
Kimberly Arias
PITTSBURG:
Jocelyn Gutierrez
RANCHO COTATE:
Mari-Menjivar Martinez
REDWOOD:
Madeleine Pero, Sophia Curtaz
RICHMOND:
Erica Mendoza
SAINT MARY'S:
Sienna Inouye
SALESIAN:
Siobhan Lewis
SAN LEANDRO:
Valerie Flores
SAN LORENZO:
Mariela Gonzalez
SAN MARIN:
Caitlin Dwyer
SAN RAMON VALLEY:
Kylie Kerr
SANTA ROSA:
Emily Staten, Megan Andersen
ST. JOSEPH NOTRE DAME:
Nicole Prislin
ST. PATRICK-ST. VINCENT:
Malia Samonte
TAMALPAIS:
Emlen Janetos, Grace Gustafson
TENNYSON:
Ivania Limon
TERRA LINDA:
Ivanna Maldonado
UKIAH:
Elle Clausen, Lexi Yates
UNIVERSITY:
Nicole Wilkinson, Julia Munz
URBAN:
Lola McAllister, Remi Feuerman
WASHINGTON:
Poonam Ranu
WINDSOR:
Briana Davis
YGNACIO VALLEY:
Karla Santamaria
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