CA – WCAL – Soccer: Top ranked Saint Francis at Presentation

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This game featured a lot of top level club players from the Bay Area.&nbsp; The Saint Francis Lancers, the #8 ranked team in CA and #37 in the nation went up against a scrappy Presentation Panthers team.&nbsp; Two years ago, the Panthers won the Division II CCS (Central Coast Section) Championships, despite placing 5th in the tough WCAL league.&nbsp; On the other hand, the Lancers are back to back DI CCS Champions and winners of the 2023 CIF NorCal Division I Regional Championships.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>From start to finish, both teams went at it and I saw some great ball movement, superb technical skills, and highly competitive players.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='111098' first='Emmy' last='Salita'] scored the first two goals for the Lancers, while slicing and running through the defense.&nbsp; Caitlin Motil scored the 3rd on a set piece and [player_tooltip player_id='19904' first='Maya' last='Wastie']'s run through the lane added the 4th.&nbsp; Presentation did have a few quality shots on goal, but freshman goalkeeper [player_tooltip player_id='111094' first='Sophia' last='Malloy'] made some outstanding saves to keep a clean sheet.&nbsp; Other key standouts for the Lancers were [player_tooltip player_id='111126' first='Mehr' last='Khera'] on defense and [player_tooltip player_id='206664' first='Lynn' last='Byun'] who played the CB and midfield position. Khera was relentless on defense, she is quick and calculates where her opponent are attempting to make their runs. She has great touch and can play up as a midfielder or forward.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Presentations standouts were CB Gracie Vierra, Midfielder Elisa Garcia, and GK Ella Claveran.&nbsp; All three led a combined effort to slow down the high-powered offense coming in with 62 goals in 14 games.&nbsp; For the majority of the match, they kept the opposition from slipping through with diagonal runs.&nbsp; They pushed the Lancers to the channels, but eventually the law of averages came into play.&nbsp; Nevertheless, they never let down and they competed to the end.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Next up for HC Todd Daniels and the Panthers is to find their form and possibly get another at-large bid and make a run in the CCS tournament.&nbsp; HC Carlos Barboza and Saint Francis are locked in as they will be playing a critical match next Saturday against Archbishop Mitty.&nbsp; The #1 and #2 teams will battle it out for the WCAL title and seeding in the CCS Tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["111098"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":278473,"_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67a0712e7b315"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">We may need to change her profile name to Emmy. Played up top as a forward. Her technical skills and speed are her greatest assets. Salita made great runs at the goal and at times made it look like the defense was just jogging as she zipped by. Her one-two passes was all she needed to get into a scoring position. She's a smart player who understands how to find the open space and she has top-notch finishing skills. Emmy plays club soccer for [program_tooltip program_id='278033' first='MVLA' last='ECNL']. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["206664"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":278474,"_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67a0712e7b3a3"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Byun played the CB and CM position. On defense she was able to step into lanes and win 50/50 challenges. She can transition quickly into attacking while making decisive and precise passes. On offense, she distributed the ball efficiently and moved with a smooth and quick pace. She played both positions well, but it was on offense where I saw her make the most of her abilities. She was also credited with the assist on their last goal. Lynn plays club soccer for Bay Area Surf ECNL.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["111094"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":278475,"_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67a0712e7b410"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Malloy has great length and athleticism. She made some really good saves to keep a clean sheet. Her ability to close down attacking lanes and take on players in 1v1 battles are truly what separates her from the rest. Her best takeaway goal was when she was slightly off her line and an almost perfect chip shot was about to dip below the crossbar. Out of nowhere, she punched the ball over the bar with an acrobatic move. She is definitely a big part of why only 3 goals were recorded to this point.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":278476,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Caitlin Motil","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'6u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"101","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Saint Francis","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"[program_tooltip program_id='278033' first='MVLA' last='ECNL'] G07","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67a0712e7b4c4"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Motil played both at the CB and DM position. She has good touch and makes good passes to overlapping players. She closes down players making diagonal runs to the box. Motil made if difficult for the offense to get behind her as she is always communicating with her teammates and making strong challenges in the defensive third. Her main contribution on offense was a beautiful set-piece goal form just outside the 18-yard box.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":278477,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Elisa Garcia","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'4u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"102","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Presentation","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"Pajaro Valley Youth Soccer Club","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67a0712e7b56b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">She played primarily as an attacking-mid. Elisa showed some crafty skills by using CR7 like moves to get by a defender before sending through a lane. Her creativity on offense is what really caught my eye. She made quick and precise passes to start counter attacks and she didn't back down from from challenges. She made some really good passes to runners slipping through the lanes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":278478,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Gracie Vierra","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2025","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'8u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"101","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Presentation","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"De Anza Force","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67a0712e7b60a"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Anchored the defensive side and was tasked at slowing down the highest scoring team in the league. Gracie played tough and made good stops in the middle of the field. She made it difficult for the offense to make runs into the box. Her ability to make long passes to the opposite half gave her team opportunities to get into scoring range. Let's just say that if she wasn't playing today, the game could have easily gone to double digits.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":278479,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Ella Claveran","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2028","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'4u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"100","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Presentation","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"Almaden FC","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67a0712e7b6ac"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Ella made some great saves and displayed her shot-stopping skills. she was good at making diving saves as well as cutting off running lanes near the 18-yard box. She was definitely not afraid of the high scoring SF attack. I was impressed on how she never let down, even after going down a few goals. Her courage against an overwhelming offense definitely inspired her team to not quit on each other. It will be great to see her progression as she is only in her freshman year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1885763922252496924">https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1885763922252496924</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1885777504386113752">https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1885777504386113752</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1885778321944056268","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <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/1885778321944056268 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1885941457099653574">https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1885941457099653574</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1886084819236577336">https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1886084819236577336</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1892981725791179019","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <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/1892981725791179019 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed -->