East Bay Athletic League Mountain 2022 Girls Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The East Bay Athletic League's Mountain Division on the girls side is literally running the gauntlet of gauntlets in Northern California. You have Carondelet, perhaps the top team in Northern California to start the season, as well as perennial powers such as Monte Vista and San Ramon Valley. Dublin and Amador Valley were promoted from the Valley to the Mountain, where they will look to build of a top two finish a year ago.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Amador Valley</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Dons finished tied atop the Valley Division last season, going undefeated in league play and didn't suffer an overall loss until the second round of the North Coast Section Division I playoffs. AV returns a first-team all-EBAL defender in senior Brooke Walker, as well as a senior and a junior that were honorable mention a year ago in [player_tooltip player_id='18900' first='Elizabeth' last='Fineberg'] and Angela Akanyiridge. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Carondelet</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Cougars, quite frankly, are loaded. The defending NCS DI champs will be looking for a NorCal title this year with the talent they have and it starts with three Division I commits in keeper Maddie Buckley, attacking midfielder Lizzy Vranesh and forward Lauren Kenney.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Buckley is committed to UC Santa Barbara, Vranesh is committed to Cal and Kenny is committed to Oregon. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This will be a special group and it's not just because they have DI athletes on top of other great athletes around the pitch. It's because this team is used to winning, competing and having fun. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What makes this group original is they have grown into a winning and competitive culture which I am so proud of," Carondelet coach Amy Apodaca said. "The three girls mentioned lead by example and have a standard that if matched can create a great success. The team is goofy but driven to be successful."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Dublin</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Gaels have a nice mix of returning and new players on the varsity roster, but are building a new culture, with six new coaches and only two returning. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"We are looking to build and define the culture of the program," Dublin coach Jered Lui said. While at the same time developing an identity built on players who are committed to putting in the work and ready to deal with adversity."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Senior and first-team all-league player [player_tooltip player_id='20257' first='Summer' last='Starsiak'] will be a top defender in the EBAL and she will be joined on the back line by junior [player_tooltip player_id='19442' first='Gianna' last='Masinter']. Senior Izzy Liu will lead the midfield for Dublin.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Monte Vista</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Mustangs will be navigating the loss of 11 seniors, including the EBAL player of the year in Charlyse Berry. They will be looking to bounce back from seeing their undefeated season end in a shocking upset as they earned the top seed in the NCS DI playoffs, and lost a stunner to No. 16 Granada.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With that behind them, and with standout seniors [player_tooltip player_id='20117' first='Rylan' last='Park'] and [player_tooltip player_id='19343' first='Ella' last='Economos'] in the midfield and juniors Bella Pierotti (forward/midfielder) and [player_tooltip player_id='20196' first='Siena' last='Zunino'] (second team all-league defender) they should be a very, very competitive team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>San Ramon Valley</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>San Ramon Valley finished third in the Mountain last year and the Wolves had a nice run in the DI playoffs, reaching the semifinals before losing a 2-1 match to eventual champion Carondelet. They graduate three first and second team all-EBAL players, but do return an honorable mention keeper in senior Maddie Gambs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->