Lancers top Monarchs to win the CCS Division I Championship (1-0)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When it comes to league championships, CCS titles, and NorCal Championships, the names of these two schools are at the top of the list. Players from both teams represent some of the best and most talented players in the region and in the state. The fans in the packed stadium at Santa Clara University were about to witness another epic battle between the top two ranked teams in the Central Coast Section (CCS).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The opening whistle sounded, and off the bat, both teams shifted into high gear, and it stayed like that throughout the match. The movement of the ball and the players' tranquility was a sight to see. Given the enormous pressure on players on both sides, they seemed calm and composed for the majority of the match. At times things did get a little chippy, but for the most part sportsmanship is a big part of both teams' culture.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The first half of the match was relatively equal in possession, but the Lancers had a few more quicker counterattacks from the back. Both teams made effective passing combinations to get players into scoring range, yet the stars for the 1st half were the starting goalkeepers. The Monarchs [player_tooltip player_id='199882' first='Vivian' last='Baker'] and the Lancers [player_tooltip player_id='111087' first='Anneliese' last='Braun'] put on a goalkeepers clinic in the first half. The two freshmen starters played big in the box and exhibited shot-stopping skills usually seen in players in their junior and senior years. Baker and Braun were great at challenging runners in 1v1's, diving saves, and punching away potential goals. Each definitely kept at least 3 goals off the board.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1896275902960677339">https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1896275902960677339</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The second half started with a little more intensity from the Saint Francis side. They turned things up a notch and made clean combination passes and hit players making diagonal runs to the box. Their high-pressure attack eventually led to a [player_tooltip player_id='206664' first='Lynn' last='Byun'] goal in the 55th minute. It looked to be a chip shot or pass that was placed near the edge of the penalty box. The goalkeeper came out as an SF player made a challenge, and the ball deflected off of the GK's fingers into the goal. This was the only goal of the match. The Monarchs made multiple attempts to get an equalizer goal, but the Lancers defense made crucial stops to secure the win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1895658457048760377">https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1895658457048760377</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1896277295738053070">https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1896277295738053070</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><br>Other standouts for the Lancers were [player_tooltip player_id='199889' first='Tori' last='Williams'], [player_tooltip player_id='63471' first='Mimi' last='Yamamoto'], and [player_tooltip player_id='111098' first='Emmy' last='Salita']. Williams played a solid game on defense. She timed her challenges and made good decisions on when to step into lanes. One of her highlights was soaring over the crowd for an aerial challenge and knocking the ball out of harm's way. Yamamoto, the Utah commit, played great on both ends of the field. In the first half and up until they got the go-ahead goal, she made clean challenges, crisp passes, and kept her team ready for Mitty's surge in offense. Salita made a lot of quick passes to start and keep the passing combinations flowing. Her highlights came in the first half as she was tasked with slowing down [player_tooltip player_id='19981' first='Murphy' last='Walsh'], USC commit and the Monarchs biggest threat on offense. Salita did not back down and made some key defensive stops.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Standouts for Archbishop Mitty were [player_tooltip player_id='83851' first='Angie' last='Cao'], [player_tooltip player_id='19981' first='Murphy' last='Walsh'], and [player_tooltip player_id='111097' first='Chloe' last='Miller']. Cao and Miller played smart and decisively on defense. Their multiple stops against the fast-paced Lancers attack were key to keeping this a close match. Miller, the U.S. Women's Youth National U15 Team player, tracked down runners and pushed players out of the center to force them to make their attacks from the wing. Cao, the CB, made sure that the defense shifted to the correct spots and calculated her tackles around the 18. Walsh led the Monarchs attack and was close on a few occasions to get her team on the board. She exhibited outstanding leadership skills and has the skills to score from range and in tight quarters. I'm sure that she and the rest of her team are looking for a successful run in the NorCal playoffs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Next up for Coach J.T. Hanley (2021 National Girls Coach of the Year) and the Monarchs is to prepare his team for another successful run in the NorCal tournament. As for Coach Carlos Barboza (2023 California Girls Coach of the Year) and the Lancers, they might have their sights on a potential back-to-back NorCal Championship. As I predicted in an earlier article, either the Monarchs or the Lancers will bring their school another NorCal Championship. My feelings haven't changed a bit. It's going to be another epic showdown if both teams meet again in the NorCal Final.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1895668889754939499">https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1895668889754939499</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1895653362617761897","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/1895653362617761897 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1895644959690408260">https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1895644959690408260</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 -->