Girls soccer preview 2023-24: Rankings, players to watch, more

Bay Area News Group girls high school soccer preview: St. Francis’ Kamryn Rosa, Mountain View’s Laila Edris, Carondelet’s Joy Casselman among the top returning players.

WHO IS OUR PRESEASON No. 1?

Last season, St. Francis dominated on its way to the CCS Open Division title and the NorCal Division I championship, allowing only eight goals and winning 15 games by at least two goals. While the Lancers graduated Gatorade California player of the year Charlotte Kohler and a slew of other contributors, the cupboard in Mountain View is far from bare. All-WCAL midfielders and defenders Kamryn Rosa and Sophie Murdock return. A pair of juniors, Gianna Nurisso and Natalie Chan, who both made second-team all-WCAL last year, round out the backline. St. Francis will face competition from Carondelet and Mountain View, but the Lancers should once again be the class of the WCAL and contend for another NorCal title.

STORYLINES

Carondelet returns Joy Casselman, Victoria Alessandrini, and Kaya Durkee after taking St. Francis to overtime in the NorCal Open Division title game. The Cougars will open their season on the road against a possible NorCal opponent, Berkeley… This season, Mountain View will have plenty of firepower. Karena Shah, Laila Edris, and Juno Winegar, the Spartans’ top three goal scorers who combined for 44 goals and 42 assists… Menlo-Atherton head coach Jason Luce enters his tenth season with the talent to make a deep run in NorCal play. Tatum Olesen and league MVP Valerie Latu-Nava should team up with Alessia Bolanos to make opposing defenses work hard… Carondelet will not simply cruise through the East Bay Athletic League due to strong teams such as San Ramon Valley, Amador Valley, and Monte Vista.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Angel Akanyirige, Amador Valley: Amador Valley’s first-team all-EBAL selection helped the team to a 9-4-3 record and the NCS Division I playoffs.

Jessica Anderson, Los Altos: SCVAL De Anza Division defender of the year led a defense that gave up only 15 goals in 18 games.

Caroline Alanis, Albany: As a sophomore, the reigning TCAL Rock Division offensive player of the year scored 23 goals and had 12 assists.

Piper Bertani, Leigh: The BVAL Mt. Hamilton Division junior of the year helped Leigh to a 14-5 record and a trip to the CCS Open Division playoffs.

Carondelet’s Joy Casselman was named first-team all-EBAL after scoring five goals and adding one assist for the NCS Division I champions and NorCal Division I runners-up.

Grace Charles, Campolindo: As a freshman, she was named first-team all-DAL Foothill after scoring 11 goals and assisting nine times for the Cougars.

Mountain View’s Laila Edris was the SCVAL De Anza Division player of the year as a sophomore, scoring 15 goals and dishing out 20 assists.

Alexandra Freeman, Berkeley: As an all-WACC Foothill Division selection, she scored four goals and had two assists, helping Berkeey to a 13-5-4 record and the NCS Division I playoffs.

Dina Frenkel, St. Ignatius: The Lancers’ only loss of the season came courtesy of first-team all-WCAL goalkeeper Dina Frenkel, who helped St. Ignatius allow just 18 goals in 21 games and shut out St. Francis 1-0.

Addison Haws, Sequoia: The co-Midfielder of the Year and first-team all-PAL Bay Division selection scored 14 goals and had six assists. Led the Ravens to the CCS Division I title.

Freedom’s Kelsey Kawalkowski was the Bay Valley Athletic League MVP, leading Heritage to a 13-3-3 record and the league title.

Lauren Kealy, San Ramon Valley: As a junior, the second-team all-EBAL selection scored 12 goals and had five assists. Contributed to SRV’s 21-4-1 record.

Valerie Latu-Nava, Menlo-Atherton: Menlo-Atherton’s PAL Bay Division player of the year and first-team all-league selection scored 11 goals and led the team to the NorCal Division I playoffs.

Sophie Murdock, St. Francis: A first-team all-WCAL selection, Murdock helped lead a Lancers defense that allowed only eight goals in 26 games while winning NorCal Division I.

Kamryn Rosa, St. Francis: The first-team all-WCAL forward was a key member of the NorCal Division I champions.

Murphy Walsh, Archbishop Mitty: As a sophomore, the WCAL forward of the year scored 12 goals and assisted on four others. Aided Mitty in reaching the CCS Open Division playoffs.

Bay Area News Group preseason Top 15

No. 1 ST. FRANCIS (25-1 last season)

How it finished: Won the CCS Open Division championship, defeated Carondelet 1-0 to win the NorCal Division I title.

No. 2 CARONDELET (23-3-1 last season)

How it finished: Won the NCS Division I title, lost to St. Francis 1-0 in the NorCal Division I championship match.

No. 3 MOUNTAIN VIEW (14-5-3 last season)

How it finished: Lost to Del Oro 1-1 (4-3 in PKs) in the first round of the NorCal Division I playoffs.

No. 4 MENLO-ATHERTON (16-2-5 last season)

How it finished: Lost to St. Francis 2-0 in the NorCal Division I playoff semifinals.

No. 5 SAN RAMON VALLEY (21-4-1 last season)

How it finished: Lost to St. Francis 1-0 in the first round of the NorCal Division I playoffs.

No. 6 ARCHBISHOP MITTY (12-3-4 last season)

How it finished: Lost to Menlo-Atherton 1-0 in the first round of the CCS Open Division playoffs.

No. 7 ST. IGNATIUS (11-6-4 last season)

How it finished: Lost to Branson 2-1 in the first round of the NorCal Division II playoffs.

No. 8 MONTE VISTA (10-4-7 last season)

How it finished: Lost to Carondelet 3-0 in the NCS Division I semifinals.

No. 9 LEIGH (14-5 last season)

How it finished: Lost to St. Ignatius 1-0 in the first round of the CCS Open Division playoffs.

No. 10 MENLO SCHOOL (15-2-4 last season)

How it finished: Lost to Mountain View 3-1 in the first round of the CCS Open Division playoffs.

No. 11 AMADOR VALLEY (9-4-2 last season)

How it finished: Lost to Heritage 2-1 in the first round of the NCS Division I playoffs.

No. 12 LOS ALTOS (10-6-2)

How it finished: Lost to St. Francis 3-1 in the first round of the CCS Open Division playoffs.

No. 13 SEQUOIA (14-4-5)

How it finished: Won the CCS Division I title, lost to Cardinal Newman 2-1 in the NorCal Division III semifinal.

No. 14 BERKELEY (13-5-4)

How it finished: Lost to Monte Vista 2-1 in the NCS Division I playoff quarterfinals.

No. 15 FREEDOM (13-3-3)

How it finished: Lost to Carondelet 5-0 in the NCS Division I quarterfinals.