CIF-CENTRAL COAST SECTION GIRLS

The Team to Beat: St. Ignatius Prep

Being the best in the Central Coast Section has never been quite good enough for the Wildcats, who finished the 2009 season as California’s top-ranked team after going 15-0 against in-state competition. St. Ignatius Prep enters 2010 on a 16-game winning streak against teams from the Golden State and a 26-game winning streak against teams from Northern California.

Just as impressive, St. Ignatius Prep is 30-0 against teams from the Central Coast Section since the 2002 season, which is as far back as online archived records go for Northern California girls lacrosse.

St. Ignatius Prep graduated eight seniors off last year’s team, but only four of those girls started, and the Wildcats bring back a particularly strong junior class. Junior middie-attack Hannah Farr, junior attack Heidi Halsted, junior middie Rachel Hinds, junior defender Molly O’Mahoney and junior goalie Katarina Habelt all made significant contributions to the varsity as sophomores. They will be joined by middies Michaela Lalanne and Sheldon Halsted, who will be looked at to bring some senior leadership to the squad.

Contenders: Menlo, Burlingame, Palo Alto, Sacred Heart Prep

The West Bay Athletic League is going to be a three-team dogfight this season between Menlo, Burlingame and Sacred Heart Prep.

The early edge goes to the defending champion Knights, who bring back one of the state’s top players in Georgetown-bound senior middie Maggie Brown, the team’s top scorer in 2009. Brown will be joined by a fellow first-team all-Foothill Division selection in senior middie Mila Sheeline and two second-team All-Foothill Division picks in senior defender Emma Southgate and Davidson-bound senior middie Natalie Williford.

Burlingame had no seniors on its team last season and brings back its entire roster, including 11 players who picked up All-Skyline Division honors. Senior goalie Allie Tyree was named league MVP, and sophomore middie Charlotte Pratt (62 goals, 17 assists), senior middie-defender Rebecca Belding (44 goals, 27 assists) and junior attack-middie Nicole Carlton (53 goals, 17 assists) combined for 220 points. Senior defender-middie Gianna Sturiale and senior middie Maya Varma also were first-team selections.

Sacred Heart Prep graduated just four seniors and has eight returning starters. The Gators bring back five players who garnered Foothill Division honors, including Louisville-bound senior middie Tory Wilkinson. Junior middie Julia Keller was a first-team pick, senior defender Sarah Russell received second-team honors and junior middie Kendall Cody and senior middie Sophie Romans both were honorable mentions.

In the brand-new Santa Clara Valley Athletic League, Palo Alto is the early favorite after it graduated four seniors from last year’s highly successful inaugural team. Palo Alto has 13 seniors on this year’s squad, including three returning first-team and two returning second-team All-Skyline Division players. Junior middie Gracie Cain, sophomore attack Kimmie Flather and senior middie Lauren Mah were all first-team selections, and senior attack Brianna Boyd and senior middie Emily Fowler each made the second team.

Sleeper: Pioneer

The Mustangs graduated more than half of their starters from last season, but a move to the SCVAL should keep them in the hunt for a league title. Pioneer has to replace a lot of role players, but it brings back its core in senior middie Tara Grady and junior goalie Kathleen Silva, both of whom were named first-team All-Foothill Division last season. Senior middie Sanam Mozattari and junior defender Beth Shin are also back after taking honorable-mention honors.

NCAA Division I Recruits: Maggie Brown, MF, Menlo School (Georgetown); Tory Wilkinson, MF, Sacred Heart Prep (Louisville); Natalie Williford, MF, Menlo School (Davidson).

A U.S. Lacrosse High School All-American as a junior, Brown scored a team-high 104 goals to lead Menlo to the inaugural West Bay Athletic League championship.

Other Top Players: Berney Arrogancia, MF, Mercy; Rebecca Belding, MF-Def., Burlingame; Brianna Boyd, Att., Palo Alto; Gracie Cain, MF, Palo Alto; Nicole Carlton, Att.-MF, Burlingame; Kendall Cody, MF, Sacred Heart Prep; Megan Dones, MF, Mercy; Hannah Farr, MF-Att., St. Ignatius Prep; Kimmie Flather, Att., Palo Alto; Emily Fowler, MF, Palo Alto; Tara Grady, MF, Pioneer; Katarina Habelt, G, St. Ignatius Prep; Heidi Halsted, Att., St. Ignatius Prep; Sheldon Halsted, MF, St. Ignatius Prep; Rachel Hinds, MF, St. Ignatius Prep; Julia Keller, MF, Sacred Heart Prep; Michaela Lalanne, MF, St. Ignatius Prep; Lauren Mah, MF, Palo Alto; Molly O’Mahoney, Def., St. Ignatius Prep; Sanam Mozattari, MF, Pioneer; Monisha Appala Raju, MF, Harker; Sophie Romans, MF, Sacred Heart Prep; Sarah Russell, Def., Sacred Heart Prep; Chloe Peters, Att.-MF, Menlo-Atherton; Charlotte Pratt, MF, Burlingame; Mila Sheeline, MF, Menlo; Beth Shin, Def., Pioneer; Kathleen Silva, G, Pioneer; Emma Southgate, Def., Menlo; Gianna Sturiale, Def.-MF, Burlingame; Allie Tyree, G, Burlingame; Maya Varma, MF, Burlingame.

Preseason Top 10: 1. St. Ignatius Prep, 2. Menlo, 3. Burlingame, 4. Palo Alto, 5. Sacred Heart Prep, 6. Menlo-Atherton, 7. Pioneer, 8. Santa Catalina, 9. Robert L. Stevenson, 10. Gunn.

Notes: There will be 19 teams in the Central Coast Section this season. The WBAL will have nine teams divided into two divisions. Burlingame, Castilleja, Menlo, Menlo-Atherton and Sacred Heart Prep will compete in the top-flight Foothill Division. Harker, Mercy, Notre Dame and Woodside will compete in the lower-tier Skyline Division....The Santa Clara Valley Athletic League makes its girls lacrosse debut this season with seven teams: Gunn, Leland, Los Gatos, Palo Alto, Pioneer, San Jose St. Francis and Saratoga....St. Ignatius Prep, Santa Catalina and Robert L. Stevenson will once again compete as independents....Menlo-Atherton graduated the bulk of its 2009 varsity roster. The Bears lost 12 seniors, including five first-team, two second-team and two honorable-mention All-Foothill Division selections. Of the 10 Menlo-Atherton players who received postseason honors last season, the only one coming back will be senior attack-middie Chloe Peters....Former Stanford University standout middie and UC Davis assistant coach Nina Pantano has taken over for Brandon Badgely as head coach at Sacred Heart Prep....The WBAL awarded some sort of All-League honors to 77 players last season.