Mustang stars look to help MV rebound

To say it was a shock exit would be an understatement. The Monte Vista High girls team went undefeated last regular season, won the East Bay Athletic League, the East Bay Area’s most competitive league, and was ranked as one of the top teams in California all season long. They earned the top seed in the North Coast Section’s Division I playoffs and seemed destined for the NCS final at least and poised to make a run at a NorCal State title. What came next was the surprise of the tournament, as they were upset by the No. 16 seed, Granada, and the dreams of Section and State titles went up in flames. "It was a good experience because in life it’s not always going to go your way," Monte Vista coach Chris Lum. "Things like this happening are all part of the learning curve." And after graduating 12 players from a stacked team featuring Division I players, a group of seven, all of whom play club locally with Mustang SC, Monte Vista will look to regroup and push towards those goals again. [caption id="attachment_50246" align="alignright" width="139"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-50246" src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2022/07/Ella-Economos-copy-139x300.jpg" alt="" width="139" height="300" /> Photo: Michael De La Cruz[/caption] <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="19343" first="Ella" last="Economos"], Senior, Outside Defender/Midfielder</strong> Economos is committed to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and is a standout outside back, but can also play outside mid in a 4-4-2. She is a big, strong player who is very quick. She turns the corner very well on the outside because of her straight ahead speed and her strength, she is a menace in space and delivers a great ball into the area. She learns well and quickly and wants to learn to be a better player. <strong>Allyson Graft, Junior, Keeper</strong> Graft is an incredible playmaker between the posts. She is great at stopping shots or coming off the line to clear a ball or take command on a corner. She is also dynamic because she can use both feet and can help build the attack out of the back. [caption id="attachment_50251" align="alignleft" width="139"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-50251" src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2022/07/Rylan-Park-copy-139x300.jpg" alt="" width="139" height="300" /> Photo: Michael De La Cruz[/caption] <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="20117" first="Rylan" last="Park"], Senior, Midfielder</strong> Park is a dynamic, versatile player who can literally play almost anywhere you put her on the pitch. She is very athletic, she is quick and she is an incredibly smart player. Because she possesses the skill, the speed, and the intelligence, she is a difference-maker on the pitch. <strong>Bella Pierotti, Junior, Midfielder/Forward</strong> Pierotti is another one of the outstanding members of the Class of 2024 who will make an impact. She is a tough-nosed attacking player who will literally put herself in danger to win a ball. She is very scrappy, but on top of that, she is very athletic. Because of her style and her skills, she is a handful for opposing defenders. <strong>Avery Standish, Sophomore, Midfielder</strong> If the name sounds familiar, it’s because it should. Her sister, Kaela, was a standout on the Monte Vista team last season and has moved on to play for the University of Utah. Standish is a very polished player, who is also very versatile. She has a refined feel for the game and plays with such high quality and with great pace. <strong>Luana Veras, Junior, Attacking Midfielder</strong> Veras, a member of the class of 2024, played meaningful minutes as a sophomore and will be heavily relied upon this upcoming season. She is very long, athletic and a polished player. She boasts a high soccer IQ and is one of those players that finds themselves in the right place at the right time quite often because of her instincts and intelligence. <img class=" wp-image-50247 alignleft" src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2022/07/Siena-Zunino-229x300.jpg" alt="" width="196" height="257" /><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="20196" first="Siena" last="Zunino"], Junior, Central Defender</strong> An incoming junior, Zunino has been an 80-minute per-game central defender since she was a freshman. As a junior, she should be a prize recruit from the East Bay. She is what you want out of a center back, who reads the game well, can lock down attackers, has the speed to keep up with strikers and attacking midfielders, and communicates well. She is very tough, she is very durable and she is able to be a standout player and do so by making it look easy.