Ventura College women's soccer coach Steve Hoffman on the No. 2 Pirates' regional semifinal Tuesday against No. 7 Santa Monica:

"We feel good about it. They're a good side. They've not given up many goals. One of their key players is out, a forward who was a handful when we played them."

A decisive few days for the fall season arrives this weekend.

Looking to defend their conference titles, the Ventura College men's and women's water polo teams will be the top seeds at this weekend's Western State Conference championships at Los Angeles Valley College.

The two teams went a combined 8-0 in WSC play. Both will face the winner of a preliminary march between host Valley and Santa Monica Friday.

The Ventura men (17-4), ranked No. 4 in the state, have won seven of its past eight games behind firepower like Spencer McGrath (52 goals, 20 assists), Mike Crowley (52 goals, 19 assists) and Tyler McClure (44 goals).

The Ventura women (16-4) have been led by the offense of sophomore Carly Clark, who has 91 goals, and the defense of sophomore Mary Dugan, who will defend high-scoring Citrus driver Meghan Turner should the two teams meet in Saturday's title game.

Turner has scored just one of her 72 goals in a pair of Ventura 13-8 wins over Citrus.

"We're pretty aware of what she can do," said Ventura coach Mary Giles. "We're really good defensively this year."

Two years after the Moorpark College women's soccer team ended cross-county rival Ventura's 10-year hole on the WSC North by clinching the title with a scoreless draw at the VC Sportsplex, the two teams will find themselves in the same place, in a similar situation Friday night at 5:30.

First-place Moorpark (13-0-3, 8-0-1) can clinch its second title in three years with a win or a draw. Second-place Ventura (13-3), 7-1) can top the table with a win.

"It's basically the same situation," said Ventura coach Steve Hoffman. "It's one of those games when you know you have to step up and do your thing.

"It's an interesting match. We know what we have to do. We have to go and try to win the game."

Moorpark earned its advantage with a 1-0 home win over Ventura on Oct. 13.

"I think we played pretty well the first time around, we just didn't finish in front of goal," said Hoffman. "We've got to deal with their speed and they defend awfully well."

The game features two of the high-scoring attackers in the state in Ventura's Jazmarae Strozier and Moorpark's Lindsey McClellan.

Strozier, the Buena High product whose father, Clint, played football for Moorpark, leads the state with 22 goals. Moorpark does not post its statistics.

"I think we're just going to play the best we can," said McClellan. "Hopefully it all works out."

The Moorpark College women's volleyball team (14-1, 6-0), ranked No. 4 in the state, can take a two-match lead in the WSC North if it extends its conference winning streak to 19 matches Tuesday at second-place Santa Barbara City (16-2, 5-1).

Five of the six local programs qualified for Saturday's Southern California cross-country championships at the familiar hilly course at Mount San Antonio College in Walnut.

Oxnard and Ventura college, which qualified both its men's and women's teams with solid finishes at last week's WSC Championships, is aiming for the Top 14 finishes that would mean a state meet berths.

"That would be really good," said Oxnard coach Gino Sharp. "It's difficult to just send one team."

Although like many local programs, the Pirates have been stricken by illness.

"It's a hard time of the year to keep everyone healthy, especially this year," said Ventura College coach Nancy Fredrickson. "It's gone through the entire team."

Ventura College's Jazmarae Strozier and Steve Hoffman took Player of the Year and Coach of the Year honors for the Western State Conference's North Division.

Strozier, a Buena High product, lead the WSC with 17 goals and 11 assists as a freshman. Hoffman coached the Pirates to their 12th WSC title in 13 seasons and a program best No. 5 ranking in the national coaches' poll.

They were joined on the All-WSC North first team by goalkeeper Adi Pimental, defender Alison McCartney, fullback Jessica Bowsman, forward Alyssa McDonald and forward Jocelyn Coney.

Ashley Cheney, Briana Miller and Dayne Theys of Moorpark and Samantha Lane and Anna Alatorre of Oxnard also earned first team honors.

The second team included Lauren Nelson, Leslie Simon, Jennifer Arauz-Martinez and Carissa Arce of Ventura; Kaitlin Walers and Christina Leon of Moorpark; and Ashley Sims and Natalie Magana of Oxnard.

Ventura's Jaimey Farranto and Courtney Meyers, Moorpark's Leanna Aceves and Katie Rappazzo, Oxnard's Ilse Zaragaza and Gabriela Ambriz, and Santa Barbara City's Laura Spivack, a Moorpark High product, earned honorable mention.

The Ventura College women's soccer team, ranked No. 5 in the nation, was upset 2-0 Tuesday in the regional semifinals by San Diego Mesa.

Coach Steve Hoffman responded after the game to Star teammate Jeffrey Dransfeldt:

"The other team played better than we did. That's the game of soccer. You can't give away two goals like that and expect to win. It had nothing to do with the weather. We came out a little bit flat. They're a good team."

Hoffman highlighted the absence of Lauren Nelson, who didn't play as the result of two yellow cards against Southwestern.

"(Against) Southwest we came out for 15 minutes and played well before (we went flat) and played like that. Tonight we just had no energy."

"They knew how we played and did a good job with their defensive structure. What they did is they played very deep so we couldn't get behind them, which is tactically smart."

"That's one of the best teams we've played this year."

Hoffman also mentioned the 16 freshmen who will return to the program next season, along with five redshirts and a fresh incoming class.

The Ventura College women's soccer team was seeded second in the Southern California regional playoffs Tuesday. The No. 2 Pirates (17-1-3) will host No. 15 Southwestern (15-3-3) Saturday night at 7 at the VC Sportsplex.

"It doesn't matter who we play," said coach Steve Hoffman. "It matters how we play."

Only two teams in Southern California scored more than the 76 goals Southwestern has scored this season.

"Southwestern could have won that (Pacific Coast) conference," said Hoffman.

Moorpark (12-4-4) was seeded No. 8 and earned a home draw against No. 9 Los Angeles Pierce Saturday.

The Oxnard College men's soccer team (10-7-5) earned its third straight playoff berth. The Condors were seeded No. 11 and will visit No. 6 Los Angeles Harbor (15-6-2) in Wilmington Saturday at 6 p.m.

The Ventura College women's soccer team (14-1-3) travels to Santa Barbara City (11-1-5) this afternoon looking to regain its Western State Conference crown.

In a meeting of teams ranked No. 7 and No. 14 nationally, the Pirates need a tie to clinch their 12th WSC North title in 13 seasons.

"We're ready to go," said coach Steve Hoffman. "I told (the players) today, 'Last year, we were a crossbar away from winning the league. This year, we need to sew it up (today)'."

Santa Barbara, which hasn't lost at home in more than two seasons, can't afford a tie.

"They've got to come out and try to beat us," said Hoffman. "They're going to go for it. It should be interesting."

Looking to regain the crown it has worn for 11 of the past 12 seasons, the Ventura College women's soccer team opened up a five-point lead atop the Western State Conference's North Division with four matches to play.

Ventura beat West Los Angeles, 3-0, Friday afternoon behind two more goals by Jazmarae Strozier.

Meanwhile, second-place Santa Barbara City dropped two points with another scoreless draw with Moorpark at La Playa Stadium

Ventura improved to 6-0 in WSC North play (18 points) while Santa Barbara fell to 4-1-1 (13 points). Moorpark is 4-2-1 (11 points).

"The conference is tough this year," said Ventura coach Steve Hoffman. "It's up to us to take it one game at a time.

"Our destiny is in our own hands, which is nice."

By Joe Curley
jcurley@VenturaCountyStar.com

The Ventura College women's soccer team took a big step towards recovering its crown Friday night.

Alyssa McDonald's first-half goal stood up as the Pirates handed previously unbeaten Santa Barbara City its first loss of the season, 1-0, at the VC Sportsplex.

Ventura (10-1-3), unseated by Moorpark after 11 years of Western State Conference dominance last season, improved to 4-0 in the WSC North. Santa Barbara (9-1-4), ranked No. 7 in the nation by the national coaches' association, fell to 4-1.

Santa Barbara, which was averaging nearly four goals per game, was shut out for only the third time this season.

"Our feet are on the ground," said Ventura coach Steve Hoffman. "We've got to play again next week."

McDonald and Jazmarae Strozier, the WSC's two leading scorers, combined for the game's only goal.

In the 27th minute, Stozier flicked a ball forward that McDonald latched onto atop the penalty area and sent a deflected shot into the Vaqueros' net.

"Santa Barbara has always been a rival for me," said McDonald. "I almost went to that school."

It was the culmination of half that Hoffman called the best of the Pirates' season.

"We played them off the field in the first half," said Hoffman. "It was probably the best 45 minutes we've played this season."

Friday night isn't only for prep football.

The Ventura College women's soccer team will host a football showdown of its own Friday night at the VC Sportsplax against Santa Barbara City.

The two teams have combined to win their first seven matches in the Western State Conference's North Division.

Santa Barbara City (9-0-4, 4-0) is ranked No. 7 in the NSCAA's national poll. Ventura (9-1-3, 3-0) was ranked No. 12 last week, before falling out this week despite a nine-game unbeaten streak.

The Vaqueros, who have never won a WSC title, just may be the favorites this season. Ventura, which is 19-3-3 against SBCC all-time, has won 11 of the past 12 WSC North titles.

"They've had some good games against some good teams, but they're not scoring tons of goals," said Ventura coach Steve Hoffman. "If we can stick a few away, we might be all right."

The Ventura duo of Jazmarae Strozier and Alyssa McDonald is 1-2 in the WSC in scoring.

"We've got two of the best strikers in the state," said Hoffman. "We're going get goals. It's whether we defend well enough."

The Ventura College women's soccer team fell to 1-1-1 Thursday night when it opened its annual BK Sports Classic with a 1-1 draw against San Diego Mesa and a 1-0 loss to Santa Rosa.

Jessica Bowsman's 90th-minute strike ricocheted off the crossbar and across the goal line to snatch a point from Mesa in the opener.

"It lifted the goal right now," said Ventura coach Steve Hoffman of the Bowsman blast.

In the nightcap, Karly Brown scored in the early moments and it stood up for the win, despite plenty of chances for both teams.

"We gave a good account of ourselves," said Hoffman. "Santa Rosa is always up there (as one of the top teams) in the North."

(More after the jump)

The Ventura College women's soccer team opens its season Friday at Cabrillo College in Aptos.

The Pirates will begin shorthanded after losing freshman midfielder Susanna Alonso, perhaps for the season, in Wednesday's 6-0 scrimmage win at West Valley College.

"I'd lose 6-0 if I could get her back," said Ventura coach Steve Hoffman. "It's just tough. I hate seeing kids injured."

The Buena High product is suspected to have torn knee ligaments. If it is an ACL tear, it would surprising be the first ACL tear on the field in the 13-year history of the program, according to Hoffman.

Ventura has also lost one of its top returners, Nordhoff High product Kristi O'Conner (ankle), and Rio Mesa High product Lindsey Armenta (knee), who was injured during the ODP regional championships in Hawaii earlier this summer.