Oakdale girls soccer continues to make history with NorCal semifinal win
Before Oakdale High girls soccer even learned its semifinals draw in the CIF Northern California Regional Playoffs, head coach Kico Monares knew No. 6 seed Colfax could be a formidable opponent.
The Mustangs, the No. 2 seed in the Division III regional tournament, beat Pleasant Valley on Tuesday, powered by a second-half game-winning goal by freshman Skyler Burford. The players celebrated postgame, taking pictures with family and friends. Coaches celebrated a bit, but quickly turned their attention to their semifinal matchup.
It has been a historic season for the Mustangs.
They won the school’s first girls soccer section title, advanced to the regional tournament for the third straight season and won the program’s first regional playoff game.
“This is the furthest we’ve ever made it,” Monares said after Tuesday’s win over Pleasant Valley. “Getting over that hump has been a talking point for us.”
The team continued to raise the bar for the program Thursday against one of the region’s girls soccer powerhouses, Colfax.
The Falcons, who also play in the Sac-Joaquin Section, were the No. 6 seed but upset No. 3 Kerman in the NorCal first round, setting up a matchup between the CIF-SJS D-IV champion and the D-III runner-up.
Colfax struck first, scoring five minutes into the match off a corner kick. After that goal, Oakdale’s defense played its game of the season.
With a regional semifinals spot on the line, the Mustangs and senior goalkeeper Avery Gleason kept Colfax off the scoresheet the rest of the game. Gleason recorded six saves in the game, most coming after the goal.
Offensively, Oakdale was on the attack, scoring a pair of goals to secure the win with final score of 2-1.
Sophomore Kaia Cox netted the equalizer on a scramble play in the penalty box late in the first half. Colfax could not clear a Mustangs entry and as the ball landed at Cox’s feet, she tapped it across the goal line.
The game winner came after about 30 more minutes of action. In the second half, with just over 22 minutes left, Oakdale drew a throw-in near the Colfax goal. After a pair of clearances by the Falcons, sophomore Ashlyn Splettstoesser connected on a high-arching entry from about 22 yards out that was mishandled by the Colfax goalkeeper. The ball bounced to the back of the net, sealing the win. The Mustangs’ defense closed the game and secured the second-half shutout.
Junior Shelby Mitchell was credited with an assist. Cox has nine goals on the season and the game-winner was Splettstoesser’s fourth of 2025-26.
Oakdale travels to No. 1 seed Salinas on Saturday for a 5 p.m. kickoff in the NorCal championship. The winner plays the winner of Southern California No. 4 Quartz Hill at No. 2 Milikan for the first girls soccer state championship at Natomas High Saturday, March 14, at 12:30 p.m.
