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GOAL ORIENTED
Buitrago three-peats as SL MVP; RHS tandem nabs top TVL honors
SOC--All SL TVL Teams file 1
Ripon Christians Abby Buitrago eyes the ball in front of Waterford defender Kylie Joslin. Buitrago was named MVP of the Southern League for a third consecutive year. - photo by DAVE CAMPBELL/The Bulletin

Abby Buitrago is the Southern League’s MVP for a third straight season, while Cindy Alvarez and Courtney Slamon are the Most Valuable Offensive and Defensive Players, respectively, for the Trans-Valley League.

One of the state’s most prolific scorers in her first two seasons, Buitrago, a junior striker for four-time SL champion Ripon Christian (13-0-1, 17-7-1 overall) still managed 25 goals in the regular season despite missing six games with an injury. 

“Abby is such a special talent in the opposing team’s final third of the field,” Ripon Christian coach Kevin Tameling said of Buitrago after she recorded a hat trick in a 5-1 win over Orestimba, her first game back from injury. “She can find the smallest bit of space to exploit against the defense and has an uncanny ability to finish.”

Tameling was named Coach of the Year. Three Ripon Christian seniors joining Buitrago on the All-SL team are center midfielder Samantha Carvalho (three goals, nine assists), Jessica Van Vliet (three goals, two assists) and Rachel Faure (nine goals, five assists). Senior Cynthia Van Vliet (six goals, four assists) and sophomore defender Paige Vos earned honorable mention.

Ripon (11-1, 19-6) rolled to a second straight TVL title with one of the Sac-Joaquin Section’s top scoring underclassmen leading the way. Alvarez broke out in her sophomore campaign, racking up 32 goals and seven assists for the Indians. She scored at least one goal in 11 of Ripon’s 12 league contests, and in the game she was shut out she contributed two assists in a 3-0 victory over Escalon.

On the other end of the field was Slamon, Ripon’s 6-foot goalie who shares the Most Valuable Defensive Player honor with Modesto Christian’s Alexa Hardy. Slamon allowed 24 goals in 23 overall appearances and had 12 shutouts. She averaged 3.6 saves per game.

Senior midfielders Hailey Monroe (11 goals, five assists) and Haley Simmons (three goals, eight assists) are All-TVL first-team selections along with defenders Lysette and Reyna Gamboa. Sarah Alves, Alaina Cornilsen, Megan Harlan, Megan Johnson and Alayna Swilley were named to the second team.

The TVL’s top honor went to Modesto Christian senior striker Carsyn Hoogendoorn, who amassed 34 goals and 15 assists for the runner-up Crusaders (9-2-1, 15-4-2). She accounted for both of her team’s goals in a 2-1 upset of Ripon. Modesto Christian’s Jason Hardy is Coach of the Year.