EXETER – The Selma girls came into their match against Exeter hungry for a league title that’s eluded them for the last couple of seasons. And sensing that the Monarchs had visions of upsets in their minds, the Bears had to do their best to clutch a win from the jaws of possible defeat.
Selma avoided any potential let down by using some aggressive play to wrestle down the Monarchs for a 2-0 victory at Monarch Stadium on Feb. 5. With only one game remaining in the regular season, Selma’s win secures a Tri-County-Sequoia League title for the first time since the 2022-23 season. And the Bears remain hot at season’s end, running their current win streak to three games.
“All we needed to do was win, and we would win outright,” said Selma head coach Luis Zamora.
Selma entered the match having to lick their wounds due to some late season injuries. But even playing shorthanded, the Bears kept their paws on the pedals and didn’t let their guards up.
“We had to make some adjustments, due to injuries, and we have two girls that have gotten hurt that played vital roles for us in the center,” said Zamora. “I was pretty impressed, honestly — just to see them respond, and Exeter’s a really good team; they’re really well coached.”
As they’ve done all season, Selma followed the lead of their senior captains, midfielder/defender Lacy Vasquez and midfielder/striker Merlina Gutierrez. Shortly after the opening whistle, Vasquez’s goal in the first few minutes of the 1st period set the tempo. And Gutierrez’s subsequent goal in the second period gave the Bears the only cushion they needed.
“I think the team feeds off both those girls, off their energy,” said Zamora. “If the team sees them working hard, and winning balls and being physical, you can see everybody on the team just turn it up another gear just because of that.”
Coming off three consecutive losses at home, and possibly still feeling the effects of their 6-0 loss to Central Valley Christian on Feb. 3, the Monarchs had their chances to claw back into the match. But as they quickly discovered, Selma refused to just go through the motions.
“They put some good balls in – our goalkeeper did a good job of intercepting some of them and blocking some of their crosses,” said Zamora. “And lucky for us, they didn’t have anybody on the other end of those crosses.”
With the TCS comfortably snuggled in their grasp, the Bears (12-4-3 / 6-0-3) can now focus on finishing strong in preparation for postseason play. And like all good teams, success doesn’t build complacency for Selma. They know there’s still work to be done.
“I think for us, honestly, the biggest thing is just consistency,” said Zamora. “I think we just gotta keep working on that consistency and finishing. The best is yet to come. I think we’re getting hot at the right time, just like we did last year.”
