Bay Area has powerhouse programs, talent

If you drive out of San Francisco to the North or the East, you will be greeted with beautiful views as you cross the Golden Gate or Bay Bridge. In fact, you might become so enamored by the splendor that you will lose sight that in both of those directions there are powerhouse girls soccer programs with an immense wealth of talent. These are the 11 names you need to be aware of in the North Bay and East Bay. GK Mia Hamant Mia Hamant GK CA , Redwood, Sr.: Hamant is already committed to the University of Washington, she will push to start as a freshman and for good reason. She has great size, length and range. She has great hands, handling the ball very well and is great in the air on crosses. She has an innate ability to see the game as she makes reads before they happen. What separates her is how she is with the ball at her feet. She can easily drive a ball 50 yards and is known to be able to start the break from her own area. She is a two-time state champ, a Surf Cup champ and an MCAL champ. She’s a winner, period. F/W  Zoe Shepherd Zoe Shepherd D CA , Marin Catholic, Sr.: Shepherd will be taking her talents to the SEC as she has already committed to the University of Arkansas, and a player of her caliber could see the field right away in Fayetteville. She has the pace and technical ability of an SEC player, and can score goals in bunches. She’s also a very selfless player and is very good at setting her teammates up. With fearlessness and tenacity, she has the ability to run at players and take them on. She can use either foot which allows her to play outside and provide service into the box. She’s also a winner, claiming the State Cup twice. M Kaela Standish Kaela Standish M/D CA , Monte Vista, Sr.: The University of Utah commit is a heady, creative player with great pace, explosiveness and fluidity. Standish can score goals and create goals, setting her teammates up with precision passes. She is a player that can do it all on the pitch which puts pressure on the defense whenever she is on the ball. F  Charlyse Berry Charlyse Berry F CA , Monte Vista, Sr.: Berry is committed to Columbia University, and is an excellent goal scorer, leading the team in goals in the shortened 2020/2021 season. She is crafty, intelligent and athletic player who can break down opponents by being one step ahead of them mentally, or by being the better athlete. With a great work ethic and attitude, Berry is a leader of the Mustangs on and off the pitch. M/W/F Tahra Minowade, Miramonte, Jr.: It’s not fair to Tahra to limit her to one position. She can literally play any position and excel. For the Matadors, who were the Northern California champions in 2019, she is the centerpiece of what should be a very, very strong team. She is great with both feet, with great body control and vision to boot. D Rowan Blacklock, Miramonte, Sr.: If you are looking for a tall, athletic central defender, then look no further than Blacklock. She’s the entire package. She controls the defense, skippering the back line. She’s good with the ball at her feet and can start the attack by picking out a pass to the midfield. She’s also not afraid to get physical when she needs to. D Addie Cresson, Miramonte, Jr.: Cresson plays right back, but it would probably be more accurate to call her a hybrid. She is given license to roam the pitch as she sees fit. She’s the fastest player the Mats have, and she does not slow down with the ball at her feet. She could be the team’s most improved player. M Avery Welch, Miramonte, Jr.: A holding midfielder for the Matadors, what she may lack in stature she makes up for in vision. A slender player, but a talented one who sees the field as well as anyone in Northern California. She is calm on the ball, never seems to feel pressure and is a coach’s dream because of the positive attitude she maintains on the pitch. M Ella Colombini Ella Colombini F CA & Mia Colombini Mia Colombini M CA , Campolindo, Srs.: If you ask Ella & Mia how they feel about being lumped together, not just for the purposes of this story, they would likely tell you that they are used to it. The point here is not to be contrived or derivative, but the two are so similar on the pitch that the breakdown is true for both of them. A fearsome midfield combination for the Cougars, the two have an understanding of what the other is doing without having to speak a word. Call it what you will, but it’s as if they can read the other’s mind. Their ability to play off one another and to split the defense with precision passing is what makes them so dangerous. In 2019, as sophomores, they both finished with 11 goals and eight assists. You cannot make this stuff up. The two have immense abilities and a lot of tools as they handle pressure well, they are great with the ball at their feet and are both very fast. F Lizzy Vranesh, Carondelet, Jr.: A very skilled striker who has the ability to score from inside the area and from distance. She is fantastic at finding space in the box and getting on the end of a corner or a cross, has the ability to take on defenders and is not afraid to shoot from distance. She was an impact player as a freshman and will be a very important piece to a Cougars team with aspirations in 2021/2022.