1. Coronado (Calif.), 15-1 Since losing to Holy Cross (Md.) in mid-April, the Islanders have won six straight games by an average of eight goals. Coronado picked up a 12-9 victory over Los Alamitos (Calif.), which previously had one loss, and is on course for a third consecutive CIF championship.
2. Cherry Creek (Colo.), 13-1 The Bruins overcame a late four-goal deficit to topple Kent Denver (Colo.), 18-17, in a battle of the state’s top programs. Cherry Creek scored five consecutive goals to end the game. Princeton-bound Anya Gersoff scored five goals, Mara Bandt-Law had four and Bryn Bandt-Law and Sisk each finished with three, putting Cherry Creek in the driver’s seat for a 10th state title.
3. La Costa Canyon (Calif.): 14-1 Since losing to top-ranked Coronado (Calif.) in the second game of the season, the Mavericks have reeled off 13 victories in a row. Now, La Costa Canyon gets a second shot at the West’s No. 1 team, in a game that could decide the regular season champion
4. Carondelet (Calif.), 14-2 The Cougars have helped set the bar for California, and they bounced back from a loss to No. 2 Cherry Creek (Colo.) with four consecutive in-state wins. Carondelet knocked off Monte Vista-Danville (Calif.), 12-10, and continue to sit atop the EBAL.
5. Kent Denver (Colo.), 11-2 The Sun Devils lost to Cherry Creek, 18-17, in heart-breaking fashion after controlling parts of the game and leading by two at halftime. Lucy Dikeou (Stanford) continued her dominance by scoring eight goals, despite tight marking by the Bruins.
6. Los Alamitos (Calif.), 13-2 The Griffins finished another impressive regular season. After losing 11-10 in overtime to No. 3 La Costa Canyon (Calif.), they rolled through the rest of the schedule. Los Alamitos ended the season with a tough, 12-9 loss to top-ranked Coronado (Calif.).
7. Air Academy (Colo.), 14-2 The Kadets knocked off Palmer Ridge, 19-5, and are in first place in the Southern division standings. Miranda Beal (Navy) and Erin Todd have combined for more than 100 goals, and Air Academy wraps up the regular season with an intriguing matchup against Arapahoe (Colo.). Air Academy fell just short to Cherry Creek (Colo.) in the state championship game last season.
8. Amador Valley (Calif.) 11-2 The Dons avenged an early season overtime loss to Monte Vista-Danville (Calif.) with a convincing 15-7 victory. Amador Valley still has six regular season games to play, including a non-conference showdown with St. Ignatius Prep (Calif.).
9. Regis Jesuit (Colo.), 12-1 A season-deciding showdown with No. 2 Cherry Creek (Colo.) is upcoming, and will say a lot about the Raiders, who lost to Mullen 9-8 on Monday evening. After battling back-and-forth with Chaparral (Colo.) Regis Jesuit controlled overtime for a 9-7 victory.
10. Menlo School (Calif.), 12-4 Michaela Michael and Ali Kimand had four goals each and the Knights finally knocked off St. Ignatius (Calif.), 14-12 —its first victory over the in-state rival in more than a decade. Menlo led 11-4 at halftime before St. Ignatius stormed back. Goals by Kacie Madeira and Mattimore in the final two minutes sealed the game for Menlo. “It was a fine win against a fine team, one of the perennial best,” Menlo coach Jennifer Lee said in a post-game release. “Menlo never trailed, and played with tremendous heart and hustle to emerge victorious. The entire roster of 20 has been preparing for this test, since March 5 when the team was announced for the first time.” Menlo then defeated Castilleja (Calif.) 22-7 for a ninth consecutive win, as 10 players found the back of the net.
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