What the Spartans seek is a strong, and prolonged, post-season finish.
“We think this team can make a big run,” junior striker Sydney Madison and senior midfielder Hannah Godinez said after the Spartans won their Ocean League opener by beating Pioneer Valley 4-1 at Pioneer Valley in the wind and rain Wednesday.
Orcutt Academy spread the scoring and assists around Wednesday. Eva LaMarca and Izzy Llerena scored for the Spartans in the first half. Madison and Godinez tallied in the second. Madison and Abby Hernandez both had an assist.
The Spartans were scheduled to resume their league campaign with a 6 pm Friday game at Morro Bay.
Orcutt Academy will go after a long postseason run after losing 3-1 in a shootout to Orosi in the 2020 California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Central Section Division 4 semifinals at Rice Ranch Park, Orcutt’s home site in a game that was 1-1 going into the shootout phase then going out in the first round of the playoffs the last two years.
The game Wednesday was technically Orcutt Academy’s home game, but the time and site was switched from Tuesday at Rice Ranch Park, Orcutt’s home site, because of previous rain.
Madison, the team’s scoring leader at more than two goals a game, scored a second-half goal Wednesday and assisted Godinez on the last goal of the game. Both seemed happy afterwards that the game took place on the turf.
“It’s much better playing on turf,” said Madison. “The footing’s much better. There are no holes,” on the pitch.
“Our home field can get pretty bad,” said Godinez. The midfielder said the conditions Wednesday were some of the toughest she’s played this year.
Veteran Orcutt coach Brian Speer’s defense has allowed just 11 goals this season, and four of those came in a 5-4 win against Bishop Diego. The Spartans posted three shutouts.
“Summer Alcantar is a returning sophomore center back for us, and we also have sophomore Zuri Zuzow at center back,” said Speer. “Freshman Cara Mia Shaloob is hurt but makes up the back four.
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“Eva LaMarca plays outside back and can play with both feet,” Speer said. “Trinity Jones plays both outside back and winger, and plays exceptionally strong. Freshman Ellie Harrison has proven to be extremely versatile playing the back four or holding mid, and sophomore Stephanie Garcia-Silva is having another great season.” Garcia-Silva is a midfielder.
The Spartans have a mix of veterans and younger players. Godinez and Robertson are two of the six seniors on the team. Garcia-Silva, Alcantar and Jones are three of the five sophomores.
Madison and Hernandez are the only juniors. LaMarca and Llerena are two of the six freshmen. “The team starts Hannah Godinez, a senior, and junior Sydney Madison, with the rest (of the starters) being freshmen or sophomores,” said Speer.
With 19 players, Orcutt Academy doesn’t figure to be in dire straits when it comes to numbers if the team gets hit with a few injuries.
Pioneer Valley, Righetti, Morro Bay, Nipomo, Templeton, Lompoc and Mission Prep join Orcutt Academy in the Ocean League this year. Teams don’t like to get ahead of themselves, but, judging by early results, Righetti and Orcutt Academy seem to be the strongest teams in the league this year.
Orcutt Academy will play at Righetti on Jan. 11 and host the Warriors Feb. 1.
The Spartans went 3-10-1 in the 2015-16 season, Speer’s first as coach. The program has steadily improved on his watch since. The only league title the program has claimed came in 2020 when the Spartans won the Ocean League championship.
Godinez is the only one of the current Spartans who played on that team. She was a freshman then.
Two members of that 2019-20 Orcutt Academy squad, goalkeeper Ally Britt and defender Hope Smith were standouts for the 2022 Hancock College women’s soccer team that made school history. Both earned All-Western State Conference North Division honors.
Hancock shared the WSC North title with Santa Barbara City College, a program first. The Bulldogs beat Orange Coast College 3-1 in the first round of the Southern California Regional, the first playoff win in program history.
As for his own program, “We are excited about this season, and more (seasons) to come, given how young we are,” said Speer.
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