SV girls on a quest for NCS title

Now the real quest begins for the St. Vincent High girls soccer team. After capturing another North Central League I South championship and compiling a sparkling 14-1 record, St. Vincent is after the North Coast Section Division III championship that it has been denied for the last two years by Sonoma Academy.

St. Vincent begins the NCS trail Saturday against the winner of Wednesday’s Roseland Prep/Cloverdale game. The game will be played at Rancho Cotate because St. Vincent’s new home field has long been scheduled for a football game in the afternoon and the field has no lights for an evening game.

Since moving onto its new all-weather turf, St. Vincent has averaged more than seven goals a game played at home. The only St. Vincent slip all season was a 1-0 loss to Sonoma Academy.

“We’re just as strong, or maybe a little stronger, than last year,” says coach Paul Sweeney. “It’s been a lot of fun this year. We’ve played a nice brand of attacking soccer.”

While the St. Vincent offense has been clicking off goals at a tax-collector’s pace, the Lady Mustang defense has been dominant, anchored by sweeper Danielle Stave.

The fullbacks have also played extremely well, with Rose Smedley and Chelsea Bray major stoppers. Kelly O’Connor and Heather Murphy have also been big contributors to the defensive effort.

At midfield, Ashley Merceri has been a leader, along with Lindsay Mitchell, Natalia Sumodjo, Shannon Carroll and Shelby Pedersen.

There were games when Sarah Iniguez was a goal-making machine. She has 21 goals for the season, but Gabby George and Jessica Maynard have scored their share, and helped set up many others with their strong teamwork.

Shana Curry and Claire Dineen have also been major contributors to the St. Vincent success as has Rose Fleischman, who is done for the season with a broken hand.

So dominant has been the St. Vincent defense that goalkeekper Ashley Torres hasn’t had to make a lot of stops, but when she had to make a play, it has been made.

“We’re starting to peak right now,” Sweeney says.

“The girls have a focus on where they’re going. There is a huge drive to win it all.”

For Sweeney, the NCS playoffs are important, but the most important thing is consistency in the St. Vincent program.

“We trying to build a program where the players know what to expect each season,” he says.

To help him do that, he added Cindy Maynard as an assistant coach to work with him and his other assistant, Kevin Dineen.

“They have both been a huge help to me,” he says.