The winter high school soccer season is in full swing this month as teams prepare to tackle the newly aligned North Bay League.
The Analy boys (5-1-1), led by veteran coach Peter Meechan, are hitting their stride following a great showing in the Ripon Christian Tournament earlier this month. After starting the season with a 1-0 loss to Division 3 power Campolindo and a 1-1 tie with Petaluma, the Tigers have reeled off consecutive wins over Stone Ridge Christian (5-1), Bradshaw Christian (2-0), Ripon (2-1), Sonoma Valley (1-0) and Will C. Wood (2-1).
Goalkeeper Chris Janssen has been stellar in front of the net in not allowing more than one goal in any match this season. Armando Parra received the Golden Boot award as the high scorer of the Ripon Tournament, while Janssen, Brennan Blodin and Iain Douch were voted to the all-tournament team. Also playing well for the Tigers has been the defensive back line of Tom Baty, Ethan Price, Lucas Martin and Jackson Tilden-Browe.
El Molino turns back Windsor
The El Mo boys, led by coach Dave Rosales, have also been heating up this month with a string of hard-fought matches against quality opponents. The Lions began the preseason with losses to Petaluma (2-0) and Healdsburg (2-0) before playing Sonoma Valley to a 1-1 tie. El Molino dropped a 2-1 decision to Roseland University Prep but bounced back in a big way to defeat Windsor 2-1 on Dec. 17. Goal scorers for the Lions were Cassius Phillips and Logan Myers.
Lady Tigers on a roll
The Analy girls (3-1) are off to a great start to the winter campaign, recording pre-league wins over Rancho Cotate (4-0), Sonoma Valley (3-0) and most recently, Piner (5-0). The Tigers’ lone loss came in a 3-2 setback to Casa Grande.
Analy’s Dec. 14 win over visiting Piner was nothing short of dominant, getting goals from Tannin Klunis (3), Kayla Zinkovich and Maisy Butler. Assists went to Butler, Zinkovich and Maija Lindstedt.
“I feel as though we played a much better second half, really moving the ball, finding feet and displaying a lot of tenacity,” Analy coach Brittney Briones said. “We came out the second half really playing as a team; it was beautiful to watch.”
Lady Lions post win
The El Molino girls (1-2), led by Emily Farrant, have just three matches under their belt so far, recording losses to Branson (6-0) and Berean Christian (2-0) but posting a 3-2 win over Justin Siena.
