Oakdale girls soccer coach Kiko Monales sent the following message to his team after Thursday night's section championship game:
Regardless of the final result, the team had already made program history. They won back-to-back Valley Oak League titles for the first time in school history, advanced to the section title match for the first time since 2011, and qualified for the CIF Northern California Regional Tournament for the first time in school history.
However, the second-seeded Mustangs were unable to close out this part of their dream season with a blue flag, losing 1-0 to fourth-place Rio Americano on a 74th-minute goal.
Regarding his message to the team after the game, Coach Monares said, “Don't let the game dictate your team's actions.'' “Enjoy the moment, take a picture with your family, take a picture with your teammates. It's ok to have fun even if you lose. This is because what we did was phenomenal. It's that moment. It's not the result we wanted, but we shouldn't let this moment take away from the fun.”
The Mustangs defense didn't get much rest Thursday as Rio Americano's offense relentlessly pressured the back line. Avery Alves saved nearly every attempt the Raiders had.
Similar to the semifinal match against Manteca, the Mustangs kept their opponents off the board for almost the entire game.
As the game drew to a close, Rio Americano broke the 0-0 tie. The Raiders attacked from the left side of the field and perfectly timed a pass across the front of the goal to Miley McNamee, who found the back of the net.
“They're solid. Their speed of play, their possession, they were a slightly better team today,” Monares said of Rio Americano. “We are very good defensively, and our offensive strength is tactically. …We wanted extra time, we expected a penalty. I have confidence in the players who took the penalty. I also trust the goalkeeper.”
The two corner kicks in the first half were the Mustangs' best chances of the entire game. Senior Mia Peterson took both and nearly put the first try on goal. The second attempt was cleared by a Rio Americano defender.
The Mustangs will regroup over the weekend and return to work Monday for the NorCal Regional Playoffs. Perhaps they will have to move, but we won't know until official slots are announced on Sunday.
Oakdale has an example of how the rest of the season will play out. Two years ago, Kimball won the NorCal title after being eliminated in the Division II sectional playoffs.
“The blue banner was number one on our bucket list. Now it's important to rebuild the team and compete at regionals.”
Women's Soccer Championship
Division V
Hilmar 2, Argonaut 0
The sophomore filled the stat sheet for the Yellow Jackets as they won their fourth sectional title and first since 2008. Brisa Gonzalez scored one goal in the game, increasing her season total to an incredible 29 goals. She also added seven assists during the season. Gonzalez ranks 10th in the section in goals scored and 11th in points (65). Alexis Aguiar scored his 13th goal of the season and Mikayla Arteaga had an assist. Junior Kayden Elston earned the shutout win, finishing with four saves.
Hilmer (22-5-2) defeated Ben Holt College Prep Academy 6-0 in the first round and defeated Sonora 5-2 in double overtime to win the championship on Feb. 17. He won 10 consecutive games, including a ship match. The 22 wins were the program's highest since recording 20 wins in the 2017-18 season.
The Yellow Jackets return nearly all of their offensive production next season and will be looking to win back-to-back section titles for the first time since 2007 and 2008.
Hilmer will find out his NorCal opponent when Sunday's slot is announced.
Division VI
Ripon Christian 2, Stone Ridge Christian 0
On Feb. 17, Ripon Christian won its first blue flag and Division VI crown since winning back-to-back titles in 2014 and 2015. Freshman Brooke Burns and sophomore Alana Blanco each scored in the first half. Senior goaltender Tara Heida made five saves in the shutout win.
The Knights won three section championships in four appearances. This year's section title match was a rematch of the 2023 semifinal, which Stoneridge Christian won 3-1 en route to the section championship.
The Knights surpassed the 20-win mark for the first time in 10 years. They won 19 games in each of the past two seasons.
Dana Koolhaas is one of California's best scorers. She ranks 19th with 91 points and 14th with 41 points. She is also tied for second on the team with nine assists. Junior Addison DeJong had a team-high 10 assists, and Burns added nine.
The Knights will find out their NorCal opponent when Sunday's brackets are released.
