There is no easy draw when late February rolls around.
The CIF-SS Division 1 girls soccer bracket is perennially loaded with some of the top teams in the state.So while a number of local coaches were hesitant when trying to predict a team that would win the bracket, they were in agreement on one thing: They were glad they didn’t have Mater Dei’s draw.
As difficult as the road appeared to be at the onset of the playoffs, the Monarchs conquered every challenge and eventually hoisted the championship hardware, and as a result, Matty West has been selected as the Register’s coach of the year for girls soccer.
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Related:
Girls soccer player of the year: Olivia Ware, Mater Dei
All-County girls soccer: 2nd, 3rd teams
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“My initial reaction was we had a big challenge in front of us,” West said recalling when he first saw the playoff seedings. “All season, I felt like this group rose to the occasion and I realized this was a big mountain to climb, but we had a really neat group that wanted the challenge.”
The Monarchs didn’t appear to be a title contender after a loss to Santa Margarita in mid-January dropped their record 6-4-5.
West’s team proceeded to finish the regular season 4-0-2, earning a share of the Trinity League title.
Their playoff run turned into a magical one, winning every match from the second round on by either a goal in stoppage time, overtime or in penalty kicks, including the CIF-SS championship game against Laguna Hills.
The only loss Mater Dei suffered in its final 14 outings came in the Southern California Regional championships, making it the deepest playoff run in the school’s storied soccer history.
“I thought the whole journey was surreal,” West added. “The girls demonstrated how important this opportunity was and how close they were with each other. It took an entire team in every match to overcome every challenge.”
Contact the writer: kconnolly@ocregister.com
