Junior Abby Chang started her season at Aragon with a bang, putting forth a three-goal, two-assist performance in a rout over Mills. She never slowed down from there, earning Forward of the Year honors in the Bay Division of the Peninsula Athletic League and leading the Dons to both a second-place finish in league play and a berth in the CCS Division I playoffs.

Chang, who finished the season with 16 goals and four assists, showed not only an ability to produce at a high rate throughout the season, but to do so also in clutch situations. In the regular-season finale against Carlmont, needing a win to lock up a top-two finish in the Bay standings, Chang notched the game-winning goal in the second half during a 1-0 victory.

“Abby was a game-changer for us this year, with her speed and her one-on-one ability making her dangerous every time she touched the ball,” said Aragon coach Mike Flynn. “Opposing coaches and players alike noticed how dangerous she was when she had the ball, so they would double and even triple-team her, which opened up other players. She was just so much fun to watch out on the pitch.”

Her game-winner in the final game against Carlmont certainly would have come as no surprise to the Scots, a team which had wins over Presentation and Menlo-Atherton. In an earlier matchup against the Scots, Chang netted two goals and assisted on another during a dominating 3-0 victory. It was consistent with other performances, which included a key goal during a 2-0 win over third-place Burlingame and the lone Aragon goal during a 1-1 draw against Sequoia.

Chang’s performances on the field was a direct result of her work ethic on a daily basis with the Dons. She was not just the team’s leading scorer, recognized as the top attacker in the league, but also the team’s leader, despite being a junior.

“Abby is a coach’s dream, confident in her abilities and super competitive, whether it is a training session or game,” Flynn added. “Her game makes everyone around her step up their game, and in turn we started scoring more goals this year. I can’t wait to see what she does her senior year.”

For her efforts throughout this season, we are pleased to recognize Abby Chang as the Central Coast Section Junior of the Year.

Other players considered include Gunderson’s Tanya Avila, Saint Francis’ Lauren Beers, Alisal’s Yesenia Tijerina, Saratoga’s Adrienne Chan and Piedmont Hills’ Emely Ramirez.

NOTE: We would like to thank our media partners, coaches, parents, players and fans for contributing photos for our all-section features. We salute all of the players that have made this a wonderful season of CCS soccer.