Division 7
Seeded teams
1. Grace Brethren (19-3-2)
2. Riverside Prep (21-0)
3. Shadow Hills (12-1-2)
4. Big Bear (15-7-2)
County representatives: Tarbut V’Torah, Garden Grove, Santiago, Los Amigos
Rapid reaction: How real is this Tarbut V’Torah team? That’s the question everyone wants an answer to, and this is the time of the year we’ll be able to get a legitimate answer.
The Lions cruised through the regular season, going 16-0 to earn the San Joaquin League crown. Junior forward Carly Malatskey put up video game-like numbers in the process, scoring a total of 53 goals (an average of more than three per match) while also dishing out 19 assists. Because Malatskey put up such gaudy numbers, freshman Daisy Gollis went under the radar with 20 goals and 24 assists of her own, making her the county’s third-leading goal scorer and its top passer.
It’s unreasonable to expect that duo to put up points at such an alarming rate in the postseason. But how will they perform against the division’s top competition? TVT only played two matches the entire season decided by two goals or less, both coming against its league foe Webb (3-1 and 3-2 wins). Other than those two encounters, the Lions other 14 matches were won by three goals or more. Sure it’s impressive, but we still don’t know just how good this TVT team is. A potential second-round meeting between the Lions and Garden Grove would be real intriguing to see.
All eyes have to be on Malatskey, though. She’s verbally committed to Stanford, so her skill is undeniable as are her numbers. Is she the rare talent that can carry a team through the playoffs? Think MacKenzie Cerda in the 2014 playoffs for Edison High.
We’ll find out soon enough.
