The Ventura College women's soccer team received four first team All-Western State Conference nods as voted on by conference coaches last month. Leading the awards was Aracely Castro who was named the WSC Goalkeeper of the Year. She was joined on the first team all-conference list by Yadi Raigoza, Sammy Zanini and Jacky Espinosa. Additionally, VC had a pair of second-team All-WSC nods and two Honorable Mention all-conference awards.
Castro, a sophomore from Thousand Oaks High School, led the WSC North with nine shutouts, eight for victories, on the season while allowing 0.8 goals per game, which was second in the conference. Raigoza, a sophomore from Pacifica High School, joined Castro in the back, standing out as the Pirates' top defender. Zanini, a Ventura High School product, began the year as a defender but switched to a forward position midway through the season. The talented sophomore led Ventura with nine goals on the year, and had three assists while putting over 57 percent of her shots on frame. Meanwhile, Espinosa came on late in the year scoring eight goals with six assists, leading the Pirates with 22 points. The freshman from Pacifica High School netted six of her scores and handed out all six of her assists in the final nine games of the season.
Pirate midfielder Aleesa Ramirez, a sophomore from Santa Paula, and defender Stephany Ramirez, a freshman out of Oxnard, were both named second team All-WSC.
Sophomore defender Natalie Lansberg, a Ventura High School product, and freshman midfielder Jacqueline Rivera, a Pacifica High School product, both earned honorable Mention all-conference awards.
The Pirates had one of their best defensive performances in recent memory. Their 17 goals allowed was the lowest total since 2008. VC finished the season with an overall mark of 12-6-4. They fell in the first round of the playoffs at Santa Barbara in a shootout following a 1-1 draw with the Vaqueros. It was the 23rd time in Ventura's 24-year women's soccer program that the Pirates qualified for the Southern California Regional Playoffs.
