Gregori girls soccer starts CCAL title defense with dominant showing in league opener
The Gregori girls soccer team surprised many Central California Athletic League teams last season, finishing 8-0-2 in league play and taking their first CCAL title. It was the program’s first girls soccer league title since 2015-16.
They made the Division I playoffs and won their first-round game against Pleasant Grove in triple overtime.
This year, there are no surprises. The Jaguars have a target on their back.
“I don’t think most teams expected us to make it that far (in 2023-24) so it was really cool showing them what we are as a team,” said junior midfielder and University of Oregon commit Kylie Farmer. “(This year) I feel like every team knows how we play and who to mark and they’re going to go 100%.”
The Jaguars kicked off their league title defense Thursday afternoon in their league opener against Downey. Farmer scored a goal and USC signee Ali Hou, Julie Lopez and Grace Rodriguez each added two goals as Gregori earned a dominant 7-1 win.
“It felt good,” head coach Tracy Moore said of the Jaguars’ win in the league opener. “Especially coming out and having multiple girls score goals, which is nice.”
The win Thursday was Gregori’s eighth this season. The Jaguars are 8-1 overall and have won six straight contests. Over that win streak, they have outscored their opponents 27-2 and have four shutouts. Farmer, one of the team’s captains, says the team’s chemistry off the field has helped strengthen their connection during games.
“We’re really close as a team and we work really well together,” she said. “We’re moving well together and we’re all happy when one person scores. We just play as a family.”
Moore says she saw the team’s full potential in late December when the Jaguars played Manteca and Oakdale in the Winter Showcase at Oakdale High.
After getting key players in the lineup from club soccer, Gregori beat the Buffaloes 6-0 and the Mustangs, last season’s Division III section runner up, 3-0.
“Our first test was when we played in Oakdale right before Christmas,” Moore said. “We’ve had so many girls step up this year.”
“Every position is just solid on this team. Whether they play club soccer or not, they all bring something to the table and that’s what makes it special.”
The team is driven by last year’s playoff exit. As the No. 8 seed in Division I, they won their first round matchup, setting up a quarterfinals contest against No. 1 Franklin. Gregori played the Wildcats to a 1-1 draw but lost 5-4 in penalty kicks. It’s not something they had to bring up in preseason practices. They just know that’s not how they want this year to end.
“It’s something we all remember,” Farmer said. “We don’t want to have that feeling again.”
The Jaguars travel to Pitman Tuesday for a 4 p.m. matchup against one of the CCAL’s best programs and on Thursday, Jan. 16, host Modesto.
Girls Soccer Scores
Central Valley 2, Johansen 0
Enochs 0, Pitman 0
Calaveras 3, Riverbank 1
Summerville 3, Big Valley Christian 0
Turlock 8, Modesto 3
Beyer 5, Pacheco 0
Davis 3, Ceres 0
Boys Soccer Scores
Beyer 1, Pacheco 0
Patterson 3, Oakdale 0
Riverbank 0, Calaveras 0
Summerville 12, Big Valley Christian 0
Pitman 5, Enochs 1
Davis 4, Ceres 1
East Union 3, Central Catholic 2
Johansen 0, Central Valley 0
This story was originally published January 10, 2025 at 8:32 AM.
