Though redemption would look different for the two high school girls soccer teams from La Jolla that are prepping for the CIF San Diego Section playoffs, reaching such a milestone at least puts redemption within reach.
For the La Jolla High School Vikings, who lost in the CIF semifinal round last year, the hope is to win a title.
For the La Jolla Country Day School Torreys, who had a winless season last year, making it to the playoffs represents their growth as a team and a step in a new direction.
Match-ups for the first round of the postseason haven’t been finalized, but girls’ games are scheduled to begin Wednesday, Feb. 14.
La Jolla Country Day School
With new coach Ada Greenwood and a new attitude following last season’s 0-16-1 campaign, the Torreys are entering the CIF Division IV playoffs in the No. 1 spot.
“The program was going in the wrong direction last season,” said Greenwood, who coached at the University of San Diego for 19 years. “This year has posed a unique challenge for me because I am used to having 20 or 22 girls on a team, but we only have 14 girls on this year’s team.
“But the girls have picked up the rope, worked hard and focused on what we need to be.”
To help them get to this point, Greenwood “created an environment of working hard, being on time, having the right focus on every play,” he said. “If they make a mistake, learn from it and focus on the next play. Mistakes happen, but don’t let it get to them mentally. It’s an 80-minute game with lots of opportunities to repeat the positive habits.
“They also have to plan ahead and focus on the things that can help them get to where they can succeed. They have to manage a lot, and I tell them when they are here for practice or a game, be 100 percent committed.”
Putting that into practice, the Torreys won the Silver Division title in the San Diego Holiday Jubilee Tournament in December and have continued to progress.
“We have a couple of very exceptional players on the team and a group of hard-working kids,” Greenwood said.
Among the top players, he said, are center midfielder Hannah Eftekhari, forward Lolly Mirhashemi, defender Olivia Poch, goalkeeper Sophia Peltier, defender Heather Crean, midfielder Eve Sokol, defender Alyssa Vo and midfielder Rosha Anjomshoaa.
“We have created good energy around the program,” Greenwood said. “They worked to improve competitiveness and the change in culture.”
La Jolla High School
Vikings coach Austin Mobley said losing in the semifinals last season was especially disappointing because “we were the best team. We knew we had the right group of players and we deserved to win.”
Many of last season’s players returned for the current squad.
“We’re building off what we started last year,” Mobley said. “We had another very successful season and are undefeated so far. Because we have so many [continuing] players, everyone really cares about each other.
“I struggle to call anything perfect, but the team chemistry is as close to perfect as you can get. When that’s the case, good things tend to happen.”
Mobley said the team’s strengths are being organized and “making things difficult for the other team” defensively.
Among the top performers are senior Tahlia Zadeyan, who is considered the main goal scorer and “does a little bit of everything,” Mobley said; senior Ruby Davis, who plays forward and “has a million assists on the year”; senior Abigail Plezia, who “does everything defensively and marks every other team’s best player and frustrates them so they aren’t successful”; and sophomore Caroline Bruner, a center back who “takes a lot of our free kicks and scored some important goals.”
In light of last year’s loss, “there are certainly nerves” going into the Division II playoffs, Mobley said. But with that comes fuel and motivation.
“They are ready to go,” he said. “I think we all agree that if we play well, I don’t think we’re going to lose.”