Winter All-League Teams: McLaren shares award
Newport Harbor High senior Maddy McLaren earned co-Player of the Year for Sunset League girls’ water polo after leading the Sailors to the league title.
McLaren shared the award with her future teammate at UCLA, Los Alamitos senior Rachel Fattal. Senior driver Presley Pender, junior center Elissia Schilling and junior driver Carly Christian also earned first-team all-league honors for the Sailors.
Newport Coach Bill Barnett earned the league’s Coach of the Year award.
McLaren, a defender, led the Sailors (27-4) with 72 goals this year. She helped Newport Harbor go 5-0 in league, winning its fifth league title in six seasons. The Sailors went on to win their fifth CIF Southern Section Division 1 crown after defeating rival Corona del Mar, 8-7, in the championship match.
The University of Michigan-bound Pender, the Sailors’ captain, had 43 goals and 30 steals for Newport Harbor.
Schilling had 45 goals and 32 steals, including a season-high five goals in a big league win over second-place Los Alamitos.
Christian had 56 goals, a team-high 32 assists and 44 steals for the Sailors.
Senior driver Sophie Leveque, junior defender Avery Peterson and sophomore goalie Cleo Harrington each earned second-team all-league status.
— From staff reports
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Musselman is best in Pacific Coast League
Corona del Mar High senior Alex Musselman has earned Most Valuable Player honors in the Pacific Coast League for girls’ water polo.
Musselman is joined by CdM seniors Pippa Sanders and Diana Murphy, as well as juniors Cassidy Papa and Ally McCormick, all of whom earned first team all-league status.
The UCLA-bound Musselman, who was the league’s Most Outstanding Goalie a year ago, made 291 saves this year for Corona del Mar (28-3). She helped the Sea Kings go 10-0 in league, capture their 13th straight league title and advance to the CIF Southern Section Division 1 title match. Musselman, a three-year varsity starter, made an Orange County-record 889 saves in her career.
Saunders, a Cal-bound utility player who was co-league MVP last year, had 57 goals, 29 assists and a team-best 46 steals. Murphy, a center bound for Princeton, made the first team for the second straight year. She tied for the team lead with 81 goals and added 43 steals.
Papa also had a co-team high 81 goals and added 43 assists and 43 steals. McCormick, a lefty, had 62 goals and led CdM in assists for the second straight year with 65.
Brown-bound senior Victoria Pierotti, as well as junior defender Genevieve Weed, were second-team all-league selections for CdM. Junior Morgan Stewart and sophomores Avery Warwick and Marina Coskinas were honorable mentions.
— From staff reports
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Trio stands out
Costa Mesa High juniors Kellie Thorsness and Aubry Hill, as well as Estancia High junior Ilene Umansky, have each earned first-team all-Orange Coast League accolades for girls’ water polo.
Thorsness, a center, scored a team-high 88 goals and added a team-high 52 steals for the Mustangs (11-12). The 88 goals is third on the Mesa single-season all-time list.
Hill, a defender, was second on the team with 35 goals and 34 steals and led the Mustangs with 32 assists. Thorsness and Hill were each key reasons why Mesa finished second in league with a 3-1 record, advancing to the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs.
Umansky scored 119 goals for the Eagles, an Estancia single-season record and fourth in Orange County. Estancia went 12-13, 1-3 in league.
Costa Mesa junior Ashley Tfaye, sophomore goalie Kaitlyn Hill and freshman Lauren Smith, as well as Estancia junior goalie Alexis Paul and junior Danielle Ridge, each earned second-team all-league honors.
Kaitlyn Hill made 219 saves for the Mustangs, second on the all-time single-season list at the school.
Seniors Melena Masson and Yoshi Andersen shared the league MVP award for champion Laguna Beach.
— From staff reports
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Raguse top defender
Corona del Mar High girls’ soccer senior Sydney Raguse has earned the Defensive Most Valuable Player accolade in the Pacific Coast League.
Raguse is joined on the first team all-league by CdM senior goalie Sarah Cox, senior forward Ally Brahs, senior defender Amanda Stephenson and junior midfielder Annie Alvarado.
Raguse, bound for the University of Michigan, is a four-year varsity starter at defender. The co-captain brought stability as a sweeper for CdM (22-3-2, 9-0-1 in league), which won its second straight outright league title and third overall title in four years. CdM had 17 shutouts and allowed just 13 goals, on its way to its second straight CIF Southern Section Division 1 quarterfinal appearance.
Cox, a co-captain, brushed off an early sternum injury, coming back for the start of league. The Stanford-bound goalie was scored on just five times, and earned eight shutouts in her 13 games played.
Brahs, another co-captain bound for the University of Washington, had 10 goals and a team-best 10 assists for CdM. Last year’s league Offensive MVP mainly played forward, but was versatile and also helped the Sea Kings defensively.
Stephenson, the Sea Kings’ fourth and final co-captain, was strong for CdM as the defender on the left for the third straight year. The repeat first-team all-league selection is headed to George Mason University.
Alvarado, a UCLA commit and another repeat first-team selection, was very speedy and skilled in the midfield for the Sea Kings. She had a team-best 13 goals and added seven assists.
CdM junior forward Maddie O’Connor, junior midfielder Karsten Sigband, junior defender Alana Hunter and sophomore stopper Molly Keasey all earned second-team all-league status. Junior midfielder Alexa Mamatas, sophomore forward Miranda Stiver, junior midfielder Monica Venturini and sophomore goalie Kendall Mulvaney were honorable mentions.
Coach Bryan Middleton said the nine CdM players receiving MVP, first team and second-team honors is a program record.
Samantha Solaru of Northwood earned the league’s Offensive Most Valuable Player honor.
— From staff reports
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Jogwe honored
Newport Harbor High senior girls’ soccer player Josie Jogwe has earned the Outstanding Attacker award in the Sunset League.
Jogwe is joined by two teammates, senior Shannon Boler and junior Jenna Castillo, on the first-team all-league.
Jogwe scored a team-high 12 goals, helping Newport Harbor (8-11-3, 6-3-1 in league) finish third in league and make the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time since 2001-02.
Boler, an Air Force Academy commit, was a stabilizing force at the center fullback position. Castillo helped control the midfield for the Sailors.
Newport Harbor senior goalkeeper Emily Browne, senior midfielder Shanay Fischer, junior midfielder/forward Jill Messersmith and freshman midfielder Natalie Ward were all second-team all-league selections.
League champion Edison took the other three top awards.
Chargers senior Angelisa Cortez was named league MVP, Edison junior Sierra Krenik earned Outstanding Defender and Coach Kerry Crooks got the Coach of the Year nod.
— From staff reports
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Roche shines
Corona del Mar High junior striker Conor Roche earned the Pacific Coast League Offensive MVP award in boys’ soccer after leading the Sea Kings to an outright league championship.
Roche produced an area-best 17 goals and added five assists. He finished in the top 10 in goals scored in Orange County.
Joining Roche on the first team are CdM senior midfielder Matt Francini, sophomore sweeper Jay Damon and sophomore stopper Max Premer. The four Sea Kings helped CdM (10-7-3, 8-1-1 in league) reach the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division 3 playoffs.
Senior goalkeeper Armon Alaghband and senior defender Connor Morrill each made the second team.
— From staff reports
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Ochoa on first team
Senior striker Christian Ochoa was the lone Newport Harbor High boys’ soccer player receiving first-team All-Sunset League honors.
Ochoa led the Sailors (10-11-4, 3-6-1 in league) with 10 goals, four were game-winners, and he had four assists.
Newport Harbor sophomore Henry Ramirez and senior Caleb Candelaria each made the second team.
Marina’s David Elias was the Sunset League MVP.
— From staff reports