3C2A Regional Championship Brackets Announced
The stage is set for the 2023 3C2A Regional Championships as 16 teams on the men's side and 20 teams on the women's side will fight for a chance to compete for a state championship.
Men
Northern Bracket | Southern Bracket
In the northern bracket, the West Valley College Vikings earn the top seed after reigning supreme in the Coast Conference Championships. They are currently riding a seven-game winning streak as they are both the top-seeded squad and the hottest team in the pool in their region. In the championships, they score 16 or more goal in all four games capped by a dominating 23-4 victory over Merced to seal the deal.
West Valley led the state with 527 goals scored which is just under 50 goals better than Mt. San Antonio (480). They also boast a state-best 17.57 scores-per-game with a 63 percent conversion rate. Leading the way is freshman Berkecan Yalcin who surpassed the century mark in goals with 111. He also has tallied 55 assists, 24 steals and 25 drawn ejections. Freshman Phil Portisch follows with 77 goals, 64 steals 44 assists and 11 drawn ejections. Freshman Ethan Ivey has recorded 20 of the teams wins between the pipes leading to 168 saves.
The reminder of the Northern bracket features five Big 8 Conference squads with American River leading the pack as the second seed. Third-seed Sierra will fight for a chance to advance, while fourth-seeded Modesto, fifth-seeded Diablo Valley and sixth-seeded San Joaquin Delta round out the northern bracket.
In the south, the Orange Empire Conference (OEC) takes up nearly half of the slots led by powerhouse Golden West at the top. The Rustlers, who have not lost a 3C2A contest this season, look to remain unbeaten in hope of capturing its seventh-consecutive state title after hauling the program's 34th consecutive conference crown.
The Rustlers boast six offensive weapons who have scored 30 or more goals on the year, but none better than 52-goal scorer freshman Tomas De Luca. De Luca, who has played in 26 games, has scored in 19 games highlighted by a six-goal game in a win over Orange Coast earlier this season. He has 29 assists, 35 steals and 15 drawn ejections as well. Sophomore Italy Roth, who was recently named the 3CWPCA player of the Week, has scored 48 goals, 41 assists and a team-high 56 steals.
Saddleback comes in as the second seed after placing second in the OEC Championships. They defeated third-seeded Orange Coast, 14-12, on Saturday. Mt. San Antonio earns the fourth seed following a South Coast Conference (SCC) Championship where they defeated fifth-seeded Cerritos, 14-13, this past Saturday.
Sixth-seeded Cuesta cruised to a Western State Conference (WSC) Championship after defeating Ventura, 24-4, and ninth-seeded LA Valley, 12-11, on Saturday. Palomar earns the eighth seed after capturing the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference (PCAC) title with a win over Southwestern by the final score of 17-10.
Seventh-seeded Long Beach and 10th-seeded Cypress round out the list of competitors.
Northern California
#1 – West Valley (26-3)
#2 – American River (15-7)
#3 – Sierra (13-12)
#4 – Modesto (16-14)
#5 – Diablo Valley (10-17)
#6 – San Joaquin Delta (18-11)
Southern California
#1 – Golden West (25-3)
#2 – Saddleback (23-5)
#3 – Orange Coast (19-10)
#4 – Mt. San Antonio (22-7)
#5 – Cerritos (21-9)
#6 – Cuesta (19-11)
#7 – Long Beach (12-15)
#8 – Palomar (14-17)
#9 – LA Valley (11-12)
#10 – Cypress (14-12)
WOMEN
Northern Bracket | Southern Bracket
Top-seeded West Valley will look to reach the state dance yet again after another dominating season up North and an undefeated conference season that saw them haul in a Coast Conference title. They defeated third-seeded Cabrillo, 20-5, to wrap up their conference playoff run.
The Vikings led the state with 424 goals scored and 15.14 goals-per-game. At the helm of the offense is sophomore Aiyanna Mendoza who has fired home 74 goals. She has scored in all but four games this season highlighted by a seven-score contest in a win over the South's third-seeded Saddleback. In addition to her scoring, she has dished out 34 assists and swiped 16 steals.
Freshman Bella Raynes has netted 56 goals to go along with a team-high 46 assists, while sophomore Hannah Edwards has hummed home an even 50 scores. Freshman Kayla Tweed has manned the pipes all year in 25 games leading to 16 wins and 169 saves.
Sierra earns the second seed after winning the Big 8 Conference title following a commanding 21-6 win over third-seeded Cabrillo, who placed second in the Coast Conference Championship. Merced will represent the fourth seed, while Modesto follows with the fifth seed.
College of the Marin, who placed fourth in the Big 8, will come in as the sixth seed, while seventh-seeded San Joaquin Delta and eighth-seeded Fresno City round of the bracket.
In the south, the juggernaut and defending 3C2A State Champion Santa Barbara City College Vaqueros will look to repeat after a dominating season that ended without a loss in 3C2A action. They cruised to a Wester State Conference (WSC) Championship after defeating Ventura by 10 goals.
They were second in the state in goals with 406 and led by sophomore Claire Daland. Daland, who is a two-time 3CWPCA Player of the Week, netted a team-high 62 goals to go along with 60 steals, 33 drawn ejection and 14 assists. She scored at least one goal in all but one game she played and scored three or more goals in eight games highlighted by two, five-score games.
Freshman Kate Densmore, who was also named a 3CWPCA Player of the Week, has manned the goal all season leading to 31 wins and 279 saves to lead the state and the conference. Freshman Addie Lane had a strong inaugural season that saw her score 57 goals and swipe 45 steals, backed by freshman Cate Daland who socred 43 goals and dished out nine assists.
Riverside earns the second seed after racking in an Orange Empire Conference (OEC) title to go 7-0 in conference play. They defeated third-seeded Saddleback, 31-30, behind four goals from week seven's 3CWPCA Player of the Week Jessie Nelson.
Fourth-seeded Orange Coast rounds out the OEC competitors, while fifth-seeded Long Beach earns a top bid after defeating Mt. Sac, 19-3, for a South Coast Conference (SCC) Championship.
Ventura enters the tournament as the sixth seed, while seventh-seeded Citrus, eighth-seeded Cuesta, and 11th-seeded LA Valley round out the WSC competitors.
Ninth-seeded San Diego Miramar won the PCAC Championship leading in the regional bracket, while fellow conference foes in the form of 10th-seeded Grossmont and 12th-seeded San Diego Mesa will round out the southern bracket.
Northern California
#1 – West Valley (22-6)
#2 – Sierra (18-5)
#3 – Cabrillo (15-4)
#4 – Merced (13-9)
#5 – Modesto (10-11)
#6 – College of the Marin (15-10)
#7 – San Joaquin Delta (12-14)
#8 – Fresno City (8-11)
Southern California
1 – Santa Barbara (31-1)
#2 – Riverside (24-3)
#3 – Saddleback (20-10)
#4 – Orange Coast (15-15)
#5 – Long Beach (18-10)
#6 – Ventura (20-10)
#7 – Citrus (14-15)
#8 – Cuesta (13-15)
#9 – San Diego Miramar (20-5)
#10 – Grossmont (10-14)
#11 – LA Valley (16-10)
#12 – San Diego Mesa (14-12)
Release by Nicho DellaValle, 3CWPCA SID