The Cadets were more competitive this season than in recent years, earning league wins over Davis and Sunnyside, and non-league victories over East Valley and Highland.
Junior midfielder Abigail Wammock was named to the all-conference second team and was the team’s leading scorer, netting all of her goals off set pieces. Senior teammates Serenity Lopez, Valerie Lopez and Bryana Rivera received honorable mention, along with sophomore defender Sierra Stout.
Coach Noe Gutierrez pointed to the Cadets’ defense as the biggest area of improvement, with roughly 32 percent fewer goals allowed compared to last season. Ike scored twice as many goals as last season (14) and reached the postseason for the first time in recent years.
“Defensively, we had one of the better seasons Eisenhower has seen in some time,” the coach said. “We had some close battles and some tough losses, but we saw a lot of progress.”
Gutierrez praised the work of his five seniors. Along with Serenity Lopez, Valerie Lopez and Rivera, Gabriela Rios and Natalie Rodriguez will be graduating next spring.
“All five seniors contributed to the team in their own way,” he said. “And I hope to see everyone who isn’t graduating back next year.”
Gutierrez also pointed to the contributions of junior Yulissa Arias, sophomores Sara Diehm, Kennedy Leach, Celeste Limon and Emma Estrada, and freshmen Josselyn Viveros, Leslie Sanchez and Liliana Rodriguez.
Wammock will also be back, expected to lead a fast-improving program.
“Abby became more of a leader as the season went on and we are excited to see what she can bring to the table her senior year,” the coach said.
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For the second year in a row, the CBBN did not have a representative from the Yakima Valley at the Class 4A girls soccer state tournament.
Perennial powerhouse West Valley — which reached the district title game last season but was denied a state berth because the league was allotted only one berth — ended up falling to cross-town rival Davis in the CBBN quarterfinals this fall. The Rams finished 5-7 in league play and 5-10 overall.
Davis showed tremendous improvement this fall, earning the league’s No. 4 seed and hosting their first district tournament game in four years and defeating West Valley 3-1 on Nov. 5. But the Pirates ended up coming up just short of advancing to the league’s final state play-in game, losing to Moses Lake 3-2 in penalty kicks. Davis finished at 7-5 in league and 9-9 overall.
The league’s third Yakima Valley representative, Eisenhower, also made strides this season, winning a pair of league games — one over rival Davis on Oct. 12 — to finish at 2-10 in league and 4-13 overall.
Eastmont won its second consecutive district title with a 2-1 win over Wenatchee. The Panthers claimed the league’s second 4A state berth with a 2-1 win over Moses Lake on Nov. 9.
Yakima Valley Sports Network 