A season to remember ends for Paloma Valley soccer team

Nicole Dallin races to beat a Ventura defender to the ball in Saturday's state playoff game. Photo by Kristi Jo Aguirre

Even though the season ended in a loss, coach Carlos Alfaro couldn't see how he could look back at his team's history-making season with anything other than immense pride.

"CIF is nice, winning it is amazing, a lot of teams win CIF ... but the whole season to me was the most impressive," Alfaro said about the Paloma Valley High School girls soccer team on Monday. "The goals scored, the goals we didn't allow, all the shutouts ... that was a dogfight and the girls gave 110 percent, like they have all year."

The Wildcats posted another shutout on Saturday, but so did the opposing Ventura High Cougars. That meant an overtime session, which also ended scoreless. It took a 3-1 edge in penalty kicks to give Ventura the victory in the CIF Southern California Regional Division 4 final -- and hand the Wildcats their only loss of the season.

Paloma Valley's Mackenzie Ott tries to get a leg around a Ventura opponent to control the ball. Photo by Kristi Jo Aguirre

Alfaro acknowledged the strength of the Ventura team, which Paloma Valley had beaten a week earlier for the CIF Southern Section Division 4 championship. But that didn't take away from his enthusiastic evaluation of a team that made history at its school.

In their 1-0 victory over Ventura March 3, the Wildcats became the first Paloma Valley team in any sport to win a CIF-SS title. They went undefeated until the last game of the season, including 16 consecutive shutouts dating back to early January. A team made up mostly of juniors and sophomores finished with a 26-1-3 record. Paloma Valley scored 138 goals and allowed only eight goals in 30 games.

Alfaro was asked about the sense of pride in the community over the Wildcats' historic accomplishments.

"I don't know what the sense of pride is for the rest of the students," he said. "Funny thing is, the girls are taking it in stride. What I'm getting from them is the loss fired them up for next year. You think we were good this year..."

Granted, the Wildcats will return depth at every position next season. Goalkeeper Peyton Broccardo-Rehak graduates this season, but junior Paula Pimentel will be back after a season in which she shared time with Broccardo-Rehak and posted a 0.235 goals-against average. She missed the Wildcats' last two games with an eye injury that required stitches.

"Peyton really stepped up the last few games," Alfaro said. "I told her, 'You gotta have the swagger and show your confidence in goal,' and she did that. Paulina is also an amazing goalkeeper. I'm so glad we'll have her back next year."

Alfaro had similar praise for forward Nicole Dallin, a sophomore who led the team in scoring with 55 goals.

"Nicki kept scoring all those goals, even though teams double- and triple-teamed her," Alfaro said. "Miale Jones is also a workhouse; she just never stops."

In addition, Alfaro praised the play of Sam Ritchie, Megan Dallin and freshman Correyn Barackman, who scored the only goal in Paloma Valley's CIF Southern Section championship game.

"I call her 90 pounds of gold," Alfaro said about Barackman.

The consistent defense included Malana Jones and Cassidy Spiro, who moved up from the JV team this year to play key roles in the team's success. Alfaro also cited the consistent play of freshman Haley Hilton, Sayra Munoz and Alexys Ladue.

"That last game was like a shutout," Alfaro said. "We didn't lost that game on the field. When it goes to penalty kicks, anybody can win. It put a lot of pressure on our girls. But what they did this season is amazing."

Miale Jones of the Wildcats takes a shot on goal during Saturday's state playoff game. Photo by Kristi Jo Aguirre