Girls’ soccer preview: Burbank looking to challenge for Pacific League title
All three of the local schools that fielded girls’ soccer teams last season advanced to the CIF Southern Section playoffs.
Unfortunately, all three — Burbank, Burroughs and Providence highs — fell in the first round of the postseason.
This season, all three of the squads have their share of key players returning, as the Bulldogs, Indians and Pioneers push for another berth in the playoffs.
Bellarmine-Jefferson will again not field a girls’ team, however, a group of players will be competing for the Guards boys’ squad.
Here is a look at how the teams are shaping up.
BURBANK
Things were competitive last season in the Pacific League, as the Bulldogs (11-7-1 overall last season) finished third with an 11-3 record. What’s good for Burbank is it lost only a couple of impact players from last season and will return a host of key athletes.
“Things are looking good for us right now,” said Burbank Coach Eric Montoya, whose squad fell to San Marino in overtime, 2-1, in last season’s playoffs. “We are just waiting for the club soccer season to end so we can get all of our girls back.
“We’re going to have a solid team this year. Although we are going to be young in some spots, we have some players who return from last year who played really big roles for us. I’m really looking forward to what this group is going to be able to do this season.”
Leading the group of returners is junior forward Kira Bochard, a three-sport athlete who is fresh of a cross-country season in which she helped the Bulldogs get to the CIF prelims. A year ago, Bochard led the team with 20 goals to go along with nine assists, earning her all-league first-team accolades.
“She is just such a good all-around athlete with a lot of skill,” said Montoya of Bochard, who also competes for the school’s track and field team. “She is going to play in college in one of her sports.
“She really showed what she could do last season and we are expecting her to be even better this season. ...Kira is a player we can always rely on.”
Another first-team returner is sophomore midfielder Ryan Verhoeven, who led the team with 19 assists and scored 11 goals. Joining her are returning all-league sophomore midfielder Adrianne Sarukhanyan, junior wing Delila Varela and junior Nicole Winters, who will play in goal or on defense.
Other players who should bolster the Bulldogs lineup are returners Samantha Gonzalez, a senior forward, and junior defender Cynthia De La Cruz. New to the squad are Emma Carlborg, a senior who could play at goalkeeper, senior transfer Leslie Flores, who could also be an option in goal, and senior forward Sally Choi.
Two freshmen who Montoya has high hopes for are defender Camille Eugenio and midfielder Nicole Urrego.
“I think that we are going to do very well this year with all the returners that we have,” Montoya said. “I think a league title is not out of the question and something that is due here at Burbank High. We have been up there every year, but we just cant get by Arcadia. But this year I think we have a very good shot at beating Arcadia.”
BURROUGHS
The past two seasons, Arcadia has captured consecutive Pacific League championships with perfect 14-0 seasons.
During that span, the league team that gave the Apaches the biggest fight was Burroughs, which suffered two 1-0 and two 2-0 losses during that time. The Indians (7-14-2, 7-6-1), who placed fourth in league last season, will get first crack at Arcadia when they open league play at home Dec. 8.
“We are going to have a pretty mature team with 12 seniors and we also have, I think, nine juniors,” said coach Brady Riggs, whose team lost to Serrano, 5-0, in last season’s playoffs. “This is my third year as coach and we made the playoffs the first two years, which was good. But we played a brutal nonleague schedule the first two years and I think we won just one game; it was brutal. But now I have a little more control of the schedule and we should have some time this season to work on our offense a little and help prepare our defense.”
The Indians will open their season Tuesday against Louisville and play Immaculate Heart on Thursday before facing the Apaches.
“We have played really tough against Arcadia the last two years and we are the team that’s given them the best challenge in league,” Riggs said. “Some people might say its tough to open up against the two-time league champion, but we’ve proven that we can play right with them. We will find out a little about where we are pretty quickly and we’ll go from there.”
Returning to reprise her captain role is senior midfielder Brianna Castillo, a four-year player who earned second-team all-league honors last season.
“She is a terrific kid and a great player,” Riggs said. “She will be kind of the heart of our team.”
The team’s other two captains will be a pair of returners: senior center back Delila Verela and junior wing Maddie Riggs. Fighting for the starting goalkeeper position are junior returners Emily Orsatt and Emma Bartram. A transfer from Sweden who could make an instant impact is senior attacking midfielder Mimi Tiger. Two other players who will be looked upon to contribute are junior midfielder Mireya Gonzalez and junior defender Larissa Perez.
PROVIDENCE
Providence finished 8-4-1 last season after placing second in the Independence League with a 2-3 record. The Pioneers lost in a CIF Southern Section Division VII wild-card match against St. Mary’s Academy, 5-1.
“We did have some of our girls graduate, but we should be fine though, because we have some good ones coming back,” coach Jose Aguilar said. “We have a really strong sophomore class and they helped us out a lot last season. We are looking for those sophomores to step up this year and help us again.
“Last year was a good experience for the girls to make the playoffs, so hopefully that will help us out this year and it will motivate them.”
The Pioneers’ lone all-league returner is sophomore Milena Mooradian, who earned first-team recognition. Also returning are sophomore midfielder Kelly Fitzgerald and senior forward Scarlet Galvez.
“Those three players are the ones who stand out right now for us,” Aguilar said. “We also have some other players who hopefully will help us out.
“Hopefully we can do well in league and make it back to the playoffs. ...I think we will know more about who’s good in league a few weeks into league play.”
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Jeff Tully, jeff.tully@latimes.com
Twitter: @jefftsports