St. Ignatius holds nationally ranked St. Francis to a 0-0 draw

<p><strong>CCS Soccer - West Catholic A-Division teams collide for first place bragging rights.</strong></p>   <p><strong>USE THE PROMO CODE almasin30 for a discount on your first subscription</strong></p>   <p>The temperature around game time was a cool 57 degrees for a 1:00 pm match, with wind gusts up to 18 mph and making the temperature feel like 48 degrees.  The winter soccer season in Northern California is approaching the end of the first round of league competition.  Two of the top WCAL (West Catholic Athletic League) high school teams met for a first-place showdown.</p>   <p>Saint Francis was ranked as high as #6 in the nation and came into this match with an undefeated 8-game win streak.  They scored 22 goals and only conceded 3, with 5 shutouts prior to this match.  Last season, the Lancers won the treble while winning the league title, the CCS (Central Coast Section) Division 1 crown, and the NorCal Division 1 title.  Their epic run last year at 21-2-1 overall gave them a #1 ranking in CA and a #6 ranking in the nation.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/2012628390591750554?s=20 </div></figure>   <p>Carlos Barboza, the head coach at St. Francis, is in his 5th full season leading this top-level program, and he and his team are locking in on getting to the first-ever California state championship.  That's right, this year the top NorCal team will play against the top SoCal team for the state's first true soccer crown.  With the level of focus, determination, and skilled players, I believe they could make that a reality. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/2012628691595952393?s=20 </div></figure>   <p>St. Ignatius is coming in with an 8-2 record, and they seem to be ready to take on the #3 ranked team in California.  Last season the Wildcats came in 3rd with a 4-5-1 league record and an overall 11-8-5 record with a #53 ranking in CA.  They will have their hands full against an undefeated and determined Lancers team.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/2015283472412348495?s=20 </div></figure>   <p>It was highly competitive and at times highly contested as both teams pushed to get a score on the board.  The sides fielded top-level goalkeepers, but St. Ignatius stole the show as she made stop after stop to hold the Lancers to a 0-0 draw. I know the second round will definitely be another epic showdown to determine playoff seeding and bragging rights.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/2015282551489958061?s=20 </div></figure>   <p><strong>Featured Players:</strong></p>   <p><strong>Player #1 - Lola Malloy </strong>- Forward - 2028 - St. Ignatius </p>   <p><strong>Player #2 - Norah Aldrich</strong> - Goalkeeper - 2026  - St. Ignatius</p>   <p><strong>Player #3 - [player_tooltip player_id='19465' first='Grier' last='Gowdy']</strong> - 2027 - Defender - St. Francis</p>   <p><strong>Player #4 - Caitlin Motil </strong>- Defender - 2027 - St. Francis - California Baptist University commit</p>   <p><strong>Player #5 - [player_tooltip player_id='206664' first='Lynn' last='Byun'] </strong>- Midfielder - 2028 - St. Francis</p>   <p></p>   <p><strong>Player Evaluations:</strong></p>   <p><strong>Norah Aldrich </strong>- Goalkeeper - 2026  - St. Ignatius</p>    <p class="text-gray-700">She was a key part of the Wildcats' defense.  Norah made some critical stops throughout the match.  Her ability to read the attack and cut off runners attempting to slip through were areas in which she stood out.  She made multiple 1v1 saves and was fearless when stepping off her line in a crowded penalty area.  Her stops on corner kicks also proved to be a big part of her game.  This game could've easily gotten out of hand, but the stellar play by Aldrich held the Lancers to a 0-0 draw.<br></p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/2015294359315616107?s=20 </div></figure>   <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='19465' first='Grier' last='Gowdy'] </strong>- 2027 - Defender - St. Francis</p>    <p class="text-gray-700">She made some big-time plays on the defensive side.  Grier was relentless, while making strong, calculative, and clean tackles.  Her ability in “closing down” attackers by accelerating down the channels or when timing angled runs were the areas in which she stood out the most.  I really liked her progression, as I've previously seen her play at the ECNL level.  She is definitely an up-and-comer to look out for.  She helped hold the Wildcats offense to a 0-0 draw.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/2015308710109950214?s=20 </div></figure>   <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='206664' first='Lynn' last='Byun'] </strong>- Midfielder - 2028 - St. Francis</p>    <p class="text-gray-700">She had a solid match and helped keep the Lancers' attack in sync.  Her ability to scan the field and find open pockets allowed her teammates to find diagonal running lanes as well as to make overlapping runs in the attacking third.  I've previously covered her matches last season as well as in ECNL games, and she seems to be smoother with the ball at her feet, and she can make turns on a dime.  Lynn was also a big part of the Lancers' run at a treble; she will be counted on to do the same this time around.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/2015310888467849525?s=20 </div></figure>   <p><strong>Lola Malloy </strong>- Forward  - 2028 - St. Ignatius </p>    <p class="text-gray-700">She provided high pressure up top and made the defense reconsider the sides from which to make their counterattacks.  Lola was good at regaining possession and making quick passing combos.  I really liked how she kept a good pace while chasing down over-the-top passes and her ability to remain calm in high-pressure situations.  The intensity of this match and the rivalry between the two top-level teams didn't seem to faze her.  Looking forward to evaluating her during the upcoming ECNL season and seeing her progression in her soccer journey.<br></p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/2015312872914751653?s=20 </div></figure>   <p><strong>Caitlin Motil </strong>- Defender - 2027 - St. Francis - California Baptist University commit</p>    <p class="text-gray-700">The California Baptist University commit anchors the Lancers' defense.  She made clean tackles and kept the Wildcats' attack in check.  Her ability to organize the backline and distribute the ball from touchline to touchline is a sight to see.  At times, St. Francis held possession for 45-second to one-minute spurts to cover all areas of the pitch.  They would then look to find openings in the defense to mount their attack.  Caitlin was also a key member of last season's epic run.  She will also play a pivotal role in the Lancers' quest for another treble and possibly the California state championship.<br></p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/2015316304467832897?s=20 </div></figure>

CCS Soccer - West Catholic A-Division teams collide for first place bragging rights.