Trending

Advertisement

Prep Girls Soccer: Poway High, Rancho Bernardo, Del Norte among top teams in county again

Share

The Poway High, Rancho Bernardo and Del Norte girls soccer teams will all compete in Division I this year, which could make for an interesting playoff.

The Titans were young last season and are hoping to take a step forward this year.

Rancho Bernardo is carrying four freshmen and four sophomores and will need to find a way to replace the graduated Tara Meier, who led the team in scoring the last three years.

Del Norte appears to be loaded for a run at a spot in the eight-team Open Division playoffs.

Here is a closer look at the local teams:

Poway

Coach: Jen Lalor-Nielsen, 9th year

Last season: 6-13-3, lost in first round of Open Division playoffs.

Division: I

Key players: MF, Liberty Taylor, Sr.; MF, Jill Godfrey, Sr.; MF, Amanda Pyle, Sr.; D, Lauren Hess, So.; GK, Allie Seifert, Sr.; D, Tea Carrillo, Jr.; F, Janelle Bernal, So.

Outlook: The Titans are looking to bounce back after a rough season a year ago.

They will return their leading goal scorer in Hess, who found the back of the net 10 times last year as a freshman. Godfrey and Bernal also return after scoring five goals each last season.

The Titans won just two games in the Palomar League last year, but should do better with the experience their young players gained.

Poway dropped its first two games of the season, but won its next two and sit at 2-2 through its first four games. The Titans have nine goals through those four contests.


Rancho Bernardo

Coach: Mark Sidebottom, 4th year

Last season: 11-9-4, lost in quarterfinals of Division I playoffs.

Division: I

Key players: MF, Lili Andino, Sr.; D, Imka Scheepers, Sr.; MF, Amanda Roy, Jr. D, Gabriela Maas, Fr.; MF, Cassidy Lucht, Fr.; MF, Brianna Lee, Fr.; D, Samantha Lee, Jr.

Outlook: The Broncos are in a minor rebuild as they are carrying four freshmen and four sophomores.

They will also need to fill the void left by the graduation of Tara Meier, who led the team in goals the last three years.

“We are a very young team right now and it is a little bit of a rebuilding year,” Sidebottom said. “Tara is a big hole to fill and we are looking at several players to put the ball in the net for us.”

Andino and Roy are among the leading candidates to do that. Each had seven goals last season and are strong finishers around the net.

Rancho Bernardo finished in second place in the Palomar League last season and figure to be in the running with Westview and Torrey Pines again for the league championship.

“We are looking for consistency, because we have a young team that is what we have to strive for,” Sidebottom said. “We can get it and hopefully do some things in league.”


Del Norte

Coach: Gary Rossi, 6th year

Last season: 14-4-5, Valley League champions; lost in quarterfinals of Division I playoffs.

Division: I

Key players: F, Dom Diller, Sr.; F, Karli Renken, Jr.; MF, Morgan Moody, Sr.; MF, Randi Buccat, Sr.; D, Stephanie White, Jr.; D, Dani Baldwin, Jr.; D, Carter Hackett, Jr.; D, Kelley Carusa, Jr.

Outlook: The Nighthawks are one of the premier programs in the county and should challenge for a spot in the Open Division playoffs this season.

Del Norte has an outstanding duo up front in Renken and Diller returning. Renken scored a team-high 12 goals last season and figures to get her fair share again this year.

“The best thing for us to do is work the ball outside and center it,” Rossi said. “We are very traditional. Dom takes it outside then crosses it and let’s Karli finish it.”

The Nighthawks also return Moody, who can be a threat scoring or delivering passes in the box.

Del Norte’s biggest strength is its back line. White, Baldwin, Hackett and Carusa will be a tough crew to get by for the opposition.

The Nighthawks should compete for a title in their first year in the Avocado East League. But it won’t be easy with San Pasqual, San Marcos and Mission Hills all fielding strong teams.

“Our expectations going into this season are to win the Avocado East,” Rossi said. “We have high aspirations for this team.”

Advertisement