The top three teams in the West return with ambitions of defending championships in 2022.
No. 1 Foothill-Santa Ana has plenty of experience and talent back from its 18-0 team that won its first crown last year. No. 2 Colorado Academy (Colo.) will lean on its returning offense to push for a seventh straight state title. No. 3 Scripps Ranch (Calif.) is looking to three-peat after a 17-0 year, but No. 4 La Jolla (Calif.) is ready to challenge again for the championship. No. 5 Mercer Island (Wash.) didn’t lose a game in 2021, either.
No. 6 Valor Christian (Colo.) is Colorado Academy’s toughest opponent and has revenge on its mind after falling twice in their head-to-head meetings. No. 7 Newbury Park (Calif.) has a top-notch goalie among its stable of returning talent and will challenge Foothill for the top spot.
No. 8 Torrey Pines (Calif.) is a year older and better and could be dangerous. No. 9 Park City (Utah) comes off an unbeaten season in which it dominated opponents. No. 10 San Ramon Valley (Calif.) also had a perfect season and looks for another.
Continue on to see how the Top 10 breaks down, and check back every Tuesday beginning March 29 for National Top 25 updates.
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1. FOOTHILL-SANTA ANA (CALIF.)
The Knights claimed their first CIF Southern Section Division I title last year to cap a perfect season, and they graduated just five seniors. Among the talent returning in 2022 are senior attacker/midfielder Elena Torres (71 goals, 14 assists), junior midfielder Zoey Stephens (45 goals, five assists) and junior attacker Taylor Puma (40 goals, 13 assists).
2. COLORADO ACADEMY (COLO.)
The Mustangs won their sixth straight title last year, beating Valor Christian 14-3 in the CHSAA Class 5A final, but now they have to replace a senior class that never lost a game in high school, including all four starters on defense. Still, five of the top seven scorers return, and Colorado Academy especially is strong in the midfield with depth and speed with senior Maya Kendall (Dartmouth), junior Anna Colpack (Stanford) and sophomore Charlotte Corkins leading the way. Senior Emily Silliman leads the rebuild on defense.
3. SCRIPPS RANCH (CALIF.)
The Falcons capped a perfect season with their second straight CIF San Diego Section Open Division title, beating La Jolla (Calif.) 10-3 in the final. West Region Player of the Year Ella Brislin graduated after a 75-goal season, but Kayden Williamson steps up in her absence, having scored 48 goals as a junior last year. Other top players to watch include senior defender Amanda Grissom and sophomore midfielder Dahlen Vilbrandt.
4. LA JOLLA (CALIF.)
The Vikings finished as the CIF San Diego Section Open Division runners up for a second straight season and are hungry for a breakthrough this year. La Jolla has an experienced roster of players that have been together since La Jolla Youth level, led by senior midfielder/defender Hailey Dommers (UC Davis), senior midfielder/attacker Luca Demaio (Towson) and juniors Delaney Walsh (USC), Ella Stephens (UC Davis), Hayden Gawell (USC) and Cate Alexander (Cal Berkley).
5. MERCER ISLAND (WASH.)
Washington canceled playoffs in 2021, and the Islanders didn’t get a full schedule, but they won all their games for a second straight season, and they come back ready to compete for a state title in a more normal 2022 campaign. Leading scorer Annabelle Gersch graduated along with seven others, but Molly Brodsky returns after scoring 32 goals and is joined by other top contributors like junior midfielders Jamison Drayton and Cora Meredith.
6. VALOR CHRISTIAN (COLO.)
The Eagles’ two losses last year were against Colorado Academy, including a 14-3 defeat in the state championship game, after a much closer game a month earlier. They return key contributors such as senior attacker/midfielder Tess Osburn (Marquette), who led the team with 46 goals and eight assists last year, and junior attacker/midfielder Reagan Digby (Duke), who added 39 goals and 10 assists.
7. NEWBURY PARK (CALIF.)
The Panthers fell to Foothill in the CIF Southern Section final but graduated just four players that contributed stats in 2021. Newbury Park returns a plethora of young talent that got experience last year, such as junior attacker Lindsay O’Toole and sophomore attackers Reagan Laubner and Micah Shin. They will be led by senior goalie Daniella Guyette (Syracuse), senior midfielder Sophia Laubner (Christopher Newport) and senior defender/midfielder Sophia Fadler (Westminster).
8. TORREY PINES (CALIF.)
The Falcons had a young team last year that excelled despite three losses to La Jolla, including one in the CIF San Diego Section Open Division semifinals. Top returning players that once again will lead Torrey Pines this season include senior Reese Loseke (53 goals and 31 assists) and sophomore Laurel Gonzalez (33 goals and 11 assists).
9. PARK CITY (UTAH)
The Miners have to replace leading scorer Kendall Keblish and five other graduates from their UHSAA/Mountain America championship squad that capped a perfect season, but they were so dominant, it’s hard to imagine they won’t reload. Samantha Riely (UC Davis) scored 50 goals and added 42 assists and leads a team that outscored opponents 381-51 last season.
10. SAN RAMON VALLEY (CALIF.)
The CIF North Coast Section didn’t hold championships last year, but SRV impressed with a 12-0 finish and seeks to repeat that in a more normal 2022 season. The Wolves will have to figure out how to replace the production lost with leading scorers Alannah Scott and Lauren Iorio graduating, but new senior CoCo Wong looks to step up after winning 73.7 percent of the draws she took last year and also tallying 25 goals and 24 assists.