Giants women's soccer looks to duplicate playoff season

By Nick Giannandrea

COS ATHLETICS

It's been 15 seasons since College of the Sequoias' women's soccer team has made back-to-back appearances in the California Community College Athletic Association's Northern California Regional playoffs.

But with eight key contributors returning, three impactful sophomore transfers and a talented 17-member freshman class of recruits, the Giants are looking to make a second consecutive playoff run this season under first-year head coach Brooklyn Morris.

Sequoias opens the season at 3:30 p.m. Aug. 25 at American River, also a NorCal Regional participant last season.

"I have set the standard pretty high for this team," said Morris, a former Redwood High standout who was a Giants' assistant coach the past three seasons. "We're going to play it game by game and see what they can prove to us. But I think this team can go far."

Sequoias returns three of its top four scorers from a team that went 10-9-1 overall and 7-6-1 in the Central Valley Conference last season, led by striker Litzy Munoz (Mission Oak High), who delivered a team-leading 11 goals along with three assists.

Striker Nikki Licon (El Diamante) was second on the team with seven goals and also had an assist. Winger Gissel Mora (Mission Oak) had five goals and a team-best four assists last season.

Morris said offensive production will also come from freshmen strikers Aleena Gonzalez (Exeter) and Alondra Torres (Kennedy-Delano), as well as sophomore transfer winger Aubrey Salazar (Fresno City/Tulare Western), and freshmen wingers Brittany Avalos (Golden West), Naveah Diaz (Mt. Whitney) and Makaira Chavez (Selma).

Sophomore Elizabeth Jasso (Tulare Union), who started 19 of 20 games last season, provides Sequoias experience in a midfield that will also be patrolled by freshmen America Lopez (Exeter), Lynea Rivera (El Diamante), Madison Fortney (Redwood), Jaylin Magana (Hanford) and Kayla Pena (Exeter).

Perla Lopez (Redwood), who made 19 starts last season; Emma Lorenzi (Exeter), who made seven starts; and Asia Burrell (Tulare Western), who made three starts, give the Giants a trio of veteran defenders. Lopez and Lorenzi each provided a goal and an assist from the backline last season.

Sequoias' defense will also include freshmen Jocelyn Arellano (Redwood), Gracie Romero (Mission Oak), Makayla Van Patten (Mt. Whitney), Brooke Navarette (Redwood) and Clarissa Mejia (Golden West).

The Giants have an experienced group of goalkeepers in Alyna Gonzalez (Monahce), Mya Rodriguez (El Diamante) and Kenia Pimentel (Lemoore). Gonzalez played in 12 games last season, starting 11 while giving up 14 goals and making 39 saves. She had 3 1/2 shutouts.

Rodriguez is a sophomore transfer who initially out of high school went to NAIA university William Jessup, where she played in 12 games while making 51 saves during the 2022 season.

Pimentel redshirted last season at Sequoias.

Sequoias has four redshirts this season in Leslie Enriquez (Mission Oak), Alexandra Flores (El Diamante), Jaydyn Villarreal (El Diamante) and Samantha Lemus (Lindsay).

"We have some really good talent this year," Morris said. 

That talent will be put to the test against a five-game nonconference schedule that includes four teams that made the state playoffs last season (Alan Hancock, San Joaquin Delta and Bakersfield in addition to American River) before moving on to an expanded Central Valley Conference slate that features four other NorCal Regional participants (Clovis, Fresno City, Reedley and Taft).

"We have a pretty tough preseason," Morris said. "I'm doing that to show them what we can be so they hold that standard for the rest of the season."

The Giants play their first home game at noon Aug. 29 against Cuesta.

Sequoias opens CVC play at 2 p.m. Sept. 12 at Merced. The CVC has added Madera in addition to Merced, Clovis, Fresno City, Porterville, Reedley, West Hills-Lemoore and Taft.

"Our conference is strong," Morris said. "It's growing in numbers and talent. It's going to be difficult, but I have a ton of faith in this team."

The Giants made the NorCal Regionals last season as the No. 17 seed, losing their playoff opener 2-0 at No. 16 Evergreen Valley. They are hungry for a return trip to the postseason in 2023.

"(Making the playoffs last season) just raised the standard for this team," Morris said. "It gave the girls the recognition of 'we're capable of this.' Now they want to go farther. They are here to play hard and win."