Modesto Christian girls favored to win a section soccer title

The Stanislaus District has been awarded three No. 1 seeds for the Sac-Joaquin Section girls soccer playoffs, which begin Tuesday.

Manteca is the top seed in Division III after winning the Valley Oak League championship with a 4-0 victory over reigning D-III champion East Union on the regular season’s final day.

“It was absolutely important that we win the league championship,” said Manteca coach Justin Coenenberg, whose program has made back-to-back section final appearances. “The competition is brutal. The VOL is a grind to get through, but that prepares us for the playoffs.”

The team Manteca beat out – crosstown rival Sierra – is the No. 1 seed in Division IV. The Timberwolves haven’t won a section title since 2011.

In Division VI, everyone is chasing Modesto Christian, which made a surprising run to the D-VI final a year ago. The Crusaders proved it was no fluke by finishing second in the Trans-Valley League and posting a victory over Ripon, a perennial section contender.

“It was pretty amazing,” Modesto Christian coach Jason Hardy said. “I didn’t think we’d get ranked No. 1, but we had a strong schedule and we did well.

“I was shocked, but then again, it’s nice to hopefully have two home games.”

Here’s a closer look at divisions I through VI, including favorites, dark horses and local entrants:

Division I

Favorite: Top-seeded Davis is unbeaten in 19 matches and ranked No. 1 in the state, according to MaxPreps. The Blue Devils captured the ever-competitive Delta Conference, which was awarded five playoff teams.

Dark horse: Don’t count out the defending champion. No. 3 Franklin of Elk Grove allowed just one postseason goal en route to the D-I title last spring. The Wildcats finished second in the Delta Conference and are ranked No. 4 in the state.

Close to home: Sheesh, no love for two league champions. Two-time defending Modesto Metro Conference champion Gregori will open at Franklin, while Central California Conference winner Pitman travels to St. Francis of Sacramento.

Division II

Favorite: Del Oro is the top seed and ranked No. 3 in California. The Golden Eagles, who won the 2015 title in a penalty kick shootout over Rocklin, avenged their only loss with a 2-0 victory over Woodcreek.

Dark horse: No. 3 Granite Bay beat two teams on its side of the bracket (No. 6 Elk Grove and No. 10 Vacaville) and played Del Oro close in a 1-0 loss.

Close to home: No. 16 Beyer has played tough opponents well, shaking up the MMC title chase with a 1-0 victory over No. 11 Downey, but the Patriots haven’t played a team as formidable as Del Oro. Also opening on the road are Downey at Elk Grove, No. 14 Merced at Granite Bay and No. 15 Golden Valley at No. 2 Bella Vista of Fair Oaks.

Division III

Favorite: Manteca has appeared in four Division III championship games since 2004. Still, the Buffaloes are searching for their first section banner. With reigning VOL MVP Leah Manuleleua (41 goals) and Lejla Pepic (nine assists) out front and a tough defense, this group might be Coenenberg’s best in eight seasons.

Dark horse: No. 3 Ponderosa of Shingle Springs is built for the fires of tournament play. The Bruins played Division I St. Francis tough in a loss, beat Bella Vista and tied Elk Grove and Whitney, also D-II playoff teams.

Close to home: No. 16 Ceres gets first crack at knocking off the Buffaloes, while crosstown rival Central Valley, the No. 5 seed, opens at home against No. 12 El Camino of Sacramento.

Division IV

Favorite: No. 1 Sierra was the only team in the Stanislaus District to finish the regular season undefeated and there’s no reason to think the Timberwolves can’t go the distance. Boosted by a talented freshman class that features Jadyn Shinn (23 goals) and Yasmin Ballew (19 goals), Sierra went 22-0-5.

Dark horse: There’s a reason Sierra finished second in the VOL, despite never dropping a game. The Timberwolves were susceptible to the tie. No. 6 Central Catholic rallied from a 3-1 deficit March 21 to score a 3-3 draw. The Raiders are led by Boise State-bound forward Taylor Osnaya and junior goalie Makenzie Perez.

Close to home: No. 10 Calaveras opens at No. 7 Dixon.

Division V

Favorite: Amador is the defending Division V champion and features a balanced attack. Three players have scored 11 goals or more for the Mother Lode League champions, including Alyssa Holmes (18), Mikayla Smith (16) and Abigail Poppert (11).

Dark horse: Ripon has hits its stride in the second half of the season. The Indians have won 10 consecutive games and averaged nearly six goals per game in that stretch. Sophomore Cindy Alvarez is fifth in the state in goals with 31. Ripon won its sixth Trans-Valley League title in 10 seasons.

Close to home: Amador welcomes No. 8 Delhi, while No. 7 Hilmar travels to No. 2 Capital Christian of Sacramento.

Division VI

Favorite: Modesto Christian is the No. 1 seed after finishing second in the Trans-Valley League. The Crusaders return to the D-VI tournament with hopes of building on last season’s run. With few club players, Modesto Christian reached the final and lost to Capital Christian 2-1. The Crusaders are built the same way – only leading scorers Carsyn Hoogendoorn (30 goals), Juliet Hardy (23 assists) and Jessica Groen play club soccer – but feature an athletic lineup that includes five cheerleaders.

Dark horse: No. 3 Ripon Christian jumps up a division after winning back-to-back Division VII titles. The Knights are explosive as any team in the field at D-VI. After a slow start to the season, junior Abby Buitrago has found her form. She has 25 goals and eight assists in just 13 games. Ripon Christian opens at home against No. 6 Forest Lake Christian of Auburn.

Close to home: No. 7 Mariposa travels to No. 2 Argonaut, while No. 5 Waterford visits No. 4 Bradshaw Christian of Sacramento.

This story was originally published May 9, 2016 at 1:01 PM with the headline "Modesto Christian girls favored to win a section soccer title."