Difference makers in CA state semifinals
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The state playoffs in California have reached the final four, with Thursday’s matches determining who will play for Southern California and Northern California regional glory. With 20 key girls games on tap, here are players that look to be difference…
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Continue ReadingThe state playoffs in California have reached the final four, with Thursday’s matches determining who will play for Southern California and Northern California regional glory. With 20 key girls games on tap, here are players that look to be difference makers for their teams.
Bella Arias
Bella Arias
It should be stated that the success Garces has had this season, reaching the Central Section Division I title game and now the second round of the SoCal playoffs, has been because of team-first approach. The team is completely bought in, every game has had a different individual step up and the team has been completely unified. However, one constant has been the play of Bella Arias, the sophomore keeper. She has 17 clean sheets in 23 matches, has allowed just 11 goals and makes key saves in key moments. She’s an athletic keeper who is simply well-rounded and does everything very, very well.
The Oak Park senior and Eagles SC ECNL player is an important piece for her team as she offers leadership and composure in the back. She is a skilled player who can defend well and is composed with the ball at her feet.
Cao has been in good goal-scoring form of late, scoring two goals, including the game winner against Davis in the first round of the NorCal playoffs. Cao is good in the air and can score off corner kicks with her head, or she can create with the ball at her feet. She is a savvy player, who is clever, crafty and quick.
The Legends FC player is just a freshman for the Santa Margarita program, but is a prodigious player, with a lot of skill and ability. She’s improving each day as she plays against older players in the high school game and this will serve her well. She is very skilled and creative and is getting stronger and more physical as she gets more comfortable.
The UC Santa Barbara commit is a versatile player who can feature in the midfield or as a forward, and no matter where she plays she adds plenty of firepower as she has great ability on the ball and off the ball. She’s an impact player wherever she’s lined up.
Cora Fry Cora Fry M Santa Margarita | 2026 CA
Cora Fry Cora Fry M Santa Margarita | 2026 CA
Fry, just a sophomore, scored two goals in the Eagles first-round win over Roosevelt-Eastvale, and also recently scored the match-winner in the Southern Section playoff semifinals against Mira Costa. She plays with a lot of passion and energy to go with the creative and technical skills she possesses.
Looking for new ways to describe Kohler has become challenging, because she is as well-rounded an excellent as a player can be. Stanford commit and a key player for the U.S. National Youth team’s U19 team, she is a player that possesses everything you need in a midfielder. She is smooth on the ball, she shows great composure, vision and technical ability. She works hard, goes box-to-box and supports her teammates.
Lahtela is just a freshman at Homestead High, but she is a phenom. She is a very technical player, one who is very fast in addition and a player who has great strength despite her age. She has great goal-scoring prowess and is an unselfish player as well. She had a hand in all four goals in the opening round win over Chico, scoring two and assisting on two.
A sophomore at Los Alamitos High, Malinoski is an impact player for the Griffins. She has already earned the team captain armband, and makes her presence felt wherever she is on the pitch. She makes an impact when it comes to helping the team score, as she has 17 goals and 11 assists.
Medina is a four-year varsity member of the Santiago-Corona team and has been a high-level player from the beginning. She showed special potential when she arrived, and has grown into that potential, both as a person and a player. Medina has a developed intelligence that allows her to manage and exploit space. She also brings a high level of athletic ability, skill and an overall quality on the ball. Because of her high soccer IQ, she has the ability to make good decisions on both ends of the pitch. A great teammate who is humble, hard-working and respected, Medina is a very special player.
Molly Newlin
Molly Newlin
Newlin is a hard-working, dedicated player. She logs big minutes night in and night out, and is the key to that pivotal part of the field. She is a ball-winner, winning the ball in the air whether to interrupt an attack or keep the ball alive for her attackers. She is a very good defender, especially in 1v1 situations, and takes many of the teams free kicks and often contributes to goals. She is a leader and genuinely cares for her teammates.
Nunez is just a sophomore at Bonita Vista High, but is already an impact player. She is an attack-minded midfielder with ability to stretch a defense with both her passing and her ability to take players on. She is a constant threat and is always creating chances in the final third.
Highlights
Bella Ong
Bella Ong
Ong is a striker at University High in San Francisco and has had a remarkable career. She is committed to UC Santa Barbara and for good reason. She is fast, she is quick, she is clever and she is creative. She has great vision, can use both feet and shows great versatility. She is also dynamic and covers a lot of ground. She had an astounding 31 goals and 21 assists for the Red Devils this season.
Kamryn Rosa
Kamryn Rosa
Rosa has been on quite the goal-scoring run through the Central Coast Section playoffs, and looks to continue it into the state playoffs. She is a player with a blend of speed and strength, with the ability to make defenders miss when on the ball, or get behind them when off the ball. She is a fierce, determined player.
Maya Smiley
Maya Smiley
Smiley is just a freshman and scored 24 goals this season. She is versatile as she can play as both a forward or a midfielder. She is a young player that does not play with fear as she has good speed and strength on top of her goal-scoring ability.
The ECNL standout and MVLA and NorCal PDP player is a difference maker. She’s a versatile midfielder, who is dynamic in her approach and disciplined in her role. She can truly do it all, as the University of Alabama commit has shown the ability to disrupt an attack, and to score (21 goals) or set up her teammates (9 goals).
Highlights
Zacarias is just a junior at Los Alamitos, but is committed to Colorado State. She is a difference making player, one who can impact every aspect of the game. She scores goals, has 13 of them on the season, and can set her teammates up as well with eight assists.