Modesto JC aims for first women’s soccer state title

The van ride home from American River College on Oct. 2 is not remembered fondly by the Modesto Junior College women’s soccer team.

The Pirates were blanked that day 2-0 and dropped to a modest 1-2 in the Big 8 Conference. Who knew that loss would be the season turning point?

“(Before that game) We wanted to just kick the ball around at practice,” midfielder Andrea Zaragoza recalled. “After that game, we started to work hard.”

Teammate Jazlynn Satkamp added, “And run. A lot.”

From that disappointment, the Pirates won. A lot. So much, in fact, they’ve reached the State Final Four. Modesto (18-4-2) meets Rio Hondo of Whittier (16-1-4) in the semifinals Friday at 1:30 p.m. at De Anza College in Cupertino.

Each MJC player has signed a team jersey that coach Steve Aristotelous will hang in the trainer room next to the jersey of the 2008 team, the last to reach the Final Four. Like everyone else, he wasn’t sure about the Pirates’ commitment until a few losses forced their hand.

“Since the loss to ARC, we clicked,” he said.

And how. Modesto brings to De Anza a lethal attack featuring midfielders Yaritza Arista and Zaragoza and forward Jenna Viss. The 6-foot-1 Viss, sixth in California with 22 goals, kicked home five of them during MJC’s Northern California playoff victories over Las Positas, San Francisco and Santa Rosa.

Arista, the hub of the MJC wheel, is tied for eighth in the state with 21 goals and is third in assists with 18. Zaragoza is tied for seventh with 15 assists.

The trio leads nine sophomores, arguably MJC’s best-ever soccer class. Their two-year record is a school-record 38-6-4, numbers that reveal the Pirates’ faster gear.

“The fact that we lost games motivated us. We knew we could be better,” Satkamp said.

More intense workouts, on the pitch and in the weight room, focused the team.

“If you’re stronger, it’s harder for opponents to knock you off the ball,” Satkamp continued. “And you win the 50-50 balls.”

Modesto has lost once since the American River match, and the rally peaked Saturday when the Pirates shocked previously unbeaten Santa Rosa 2-1 to reach the Final Four.

To beat the Bear Cubs – Final Four qualifiers three times since 2008 and the champions in 2011 – is one thing. To beat them in a high-stakes game on their turf is another. Santa Rosa beat MJC 2-0 on Oct. 16, and the teams 2-2 tied in the regular-season finale Nov. 13.

In the important third match, the Pirates built a 2-0 lead on goals by Arista and forward Tyler Fenton, then held off a desperate counterattack by Santa Rosa in the final 20 minutes.

“It was kind of like a dream,” Fenton said. “Just surprising how we got in front.”

The victory affirmed the team’s growth. In that same round a year ago, Modesto was handed a heartbreaking overtime loss to Cosumnes River, leaving the Pirates 1-4 in the playoffs’ third round since 2005. Which means they’ve broken an old barrier and have earned a chance for MJC’s first women’s soccer state title.

“I think Santa Rosa definitely was our hardest game. We conquered that,” Fenton said. “We can take anyone right now.”

Oddly enough, Modesto and Rio Hondo absorbed their last losses on Oct. 16. Since then, Modesto is 8-0-2 and Rio Hondo is 7-0-2. Neither are league champions. Modesto placed second behind Santa Rosa in the Big 8 while the Roadrunners were edged by San Bernardino in the Foothill Conference.

The Pirates also aren’t fazed about their four losses, compared to a combined two by the other three semifinalists. They’re a far different team than six weeks ago.

“Rio Hondo is like your typical Big 8 team. They have a couple of girls who are dangerous and they have a good defense,” Aristotelous said. “That’s why I like playing in the Big 8. It gets you prepared for big matches.”

None bigger than Friday.

This story was originally published December 2, 2015 at 5:15 PM with the headline "Modesto JC aims for first women’s soccer state title."