| 1981-82
Overall: n/a
Empire League: 2-12
Coach: Mark Morin
The first season of girls soccer at Los Alamitos had a rough beginning.
With a late start, the team had no practice games before the first
league contest against Pacifica—a CIF finalist the year before
and the eventual CIF champion for this season. The score in that
first game was 15-0-and back then the games were only 70 minutes
long. The team captains were Karin Morin, Rose McIntyre and Jennifer
Elden.
1982-83
Overall: n/a
Empire League: n/a
Coach: Mark Morin
The team had only three seniors—Rose Ann McIntyre, Kim Owen
(the team's leading goal scorer) and Jennifer Elden—and per
the Los Alamitos High School student newspaper, The Crusader—the
team showed superior wing play with the team of Jennifer Elden and
Julie Schultz and featured “two tiny powerhouses” in
Lori Heinselman and Maria Eschenbrenner.
1983-84
Overall: 20-2-4
Empire League: (2nd)
CIF: Lost in Wild Card round
Coach: Mark Morin
Los Al began its third season by scoring 11 goals against Long Beach
Jordan, then got off to a 3-1 start in Empire League play, finally
finishing in second place. Defender Lori Heinselman made first team
All-Empire League and became the first Los Al player to make All-CIF.
Other players making big contributions were Lisa Kanasi and goalkeeper
Mara Bloom.
1984-85
Overall n/a
Empire League: 5-6-3 (2nd)
Coach: Mark Morin
Led by goalie Mara Bloom and returning all-leaguer and All-CIF defender
Lori Heinselman, the Griffins boasted one of the Empire league's
top defenses. However, the team only got off to a 1-3-2 start in
league play, However the offense, led by four year player Maria
Eschenbrenner and freshman Janie Eickhoff (who would later become
one of the top cyclists in the United States) came on strong and
rallied the Griffins to a second-place finish in the Empire League
with a 5-6-3 mark. They won their CIF wild card game, but then lost
in the first round.
1985-86
Overall 10-3-4
Empire League: 7-3-4 (tie, 3rd)
Coach: Carol Waechter
JV Coach Carol Waechter moved up to Varsity, and piloted the Griffins
to a tie for 2nd place. In a playoff game, a last minute goal by
Esperanza eliminated the Griffins from CIF play.
The top performers were Suzi Triplett, Terri Hubert, Heidi Sendro
and Mara Bloom.
1986-87
Overall: 21-2-4 Empire League: 10-0-4 (1st)
CIF: reached semi-finals
Coach: Mark Morin
Coach Morin returned partway into the season to once again take
the reins of the Griffin program which had its most successful season
to date, going 21-2-4. The team lost only one game in the pre-season,
falling to Torrance in the opener of the Ocean View Tournament,
but rebounded to capture the tournament consolation title. The Griffins
then went undefeated in league play, amassing a 10-0-4 mark to finish
first in the Empire League. The Griffins, ranked 5th in CIF going
into the Division 4A tournament, won their first three CIF playoff
matches before falling to Alemany in overtime in the Division 2
semi-finals. Goalie Mara Bloom (195 saves) anchored a defense that
put together a school record 15 shutouts. The addition of fireballs
Jaycee Leitner and Leanna Jay to the seniors Triplett, Hubert, Sendro
and Susana Grote gave the team its punch. Seven of the team's players
went on to play soccer in college.
1987-88
Overall: 21-5-2
Empire League: 7-2-1 (2nd)
CIF: quarter-finals
Coach: Leonard Lopez
Leonard Lopez took over the team in what looked to be a rebuilding
year, but strong play from Leanna Jay, Jaycee Leitner, Jenny Reyes,
and Leanna Jay and Julie Harris brought Los Al through a successful
season and two CIF games.
1988-89
Overall: 15-7-2
Empire League: 6-3-1 (2nd)
All Empire: Laura Brun
All-CIF:
The Griffins did well again in Empire league play and in CIF. Christine
Emch and Tanja Weth joined forces with forward Jaycee Leitner and
midfielder Julie Harris to give the team a very potent offense.
1989-90
Overall: n/a
Empire League: n/a (1st)
All Empire: Laura Brun
All-CIF:
With high expectations, Los Al started off the season strong, going
7-2 in pre-season, then had little trouble winning the Empire League
title. But then they got unlucky in the CIF quarter-finals, losing
to Simi Valley 1-0.
Harris, Leitner and Laura Brun again shined for the Griffins, along
with Eryn Ryan and Sheryn Skoglund.
1990-91
Overall: 21-4-2
Empire League: 9-0-1
CIF:
Coach: Leonard Lopez
The Griffins equaled their all-time best, winning 21 wins while
losing just 4, and breezing to the Sunset League title with a 9-0-1
mark. Three of the team's four losses came against eventual CIF
champion El Toro (28-0-2), with the last coming in a rough CIF semi-final
match that saw Los Al goalie Kathy Skoglund leaving the game after
a first half round collision, and Erin Ryan being carried off with
a second half knee injury.
Karen Kolodjiez was the hero of the teams first two CIF victories,
scoring overtime goals to give the team a pair of 1-0 playoff wins.
Sophomore goalkeeper Kathy Skoglund, set a new school record for
most shutouts in a season with 19, eclipsing Mara Bloom's record
of 15.
1991-1992
Overall: n/a
Empire League: 7-2-1 (2nd)
Coach: Mark Morin
The loss of last year’s tremendous senior class made most
observers look upon this season as another rebuilding year for returning
coach Mark Morin. But behind the play of senior first team all-leaguer
Julie Kanasi, and second teamers Brandi Hayungs and Jessica Kinnahan
and goalie Kathy Skoglund, the Griffins took second in league play
but then fell to Dana Hills in the first round of the CIF playoffs.
1992-1993
Overall: 18-4-2
Empire League: 8-1-1 (1st)
CIF: Semi-finals
Coach: Mark Morin
The Griffins entered the season as one of the pre-season picks,
then won the Cerritos Tournament, and the Empire League with an
8-1-1 record. Behind the explosive offense of Brandi Hayungs, Brooke
Davis and sophomore Liz Willemse (21 goals), the Griffins scored
27 goals in league play but more impressively, they allowed their
opponents only three goals, thanks to the defensive efforts of goalie
Heather Thomas, and defenders Jessica Kinnahan, Shelby Olmstead
and Nicole Storey.
The defense stayed strong through CIF play, as the team posted 2-1
wins over Laguna Hills and Mira Costa, then defeated Bishop Montgomery
1-0 to advance to a semi-final matchup against #1 seed Arcadia.
Los Al outshot the Apaches two-to-one, but fell on a prayer shot
which gave Arcadia, the eventual CIF champion, a 1-0 win.
1993-1994
Overall: 17-3-3
Empire League 7-0-3
CIF: second round
Coach: Mark Morin
Returning much of their lineup, the Griffins resumed their winning
ways, going 8-2 in pre-season and then undefeated through the Empire
league with a 7-0-3 mark.
The big win of the league season was a 2-1 win over 5th -ranked
Esperanza late in the second round when Laura Kuzminsky and sophomore
Sommer Hammoud each scored in the first 16 minutes to lead the seventh-ranked
Griffins to victory. Junior Liz Willemse, the team’s leading
scorer, was honored with the second of her three Empire League Player
of the Year honors, but she had lots of help from captains Katie
Ryan and Heather Thomas and newcomers Andrea Sievers, a sophomore,
and talented freshmen Hammoud and Cyndi Tredway.
The Griffins had high hopes in the CIF playoffs but Canyon deflated
them with a 4-1 setback in the second round.
1994-1995
Overall: 17-7-1
Sunset League 6-3-1 (2nd)
CIF: Quarterfinals
Coach: Rich Manning
New coach Rich Manning, a former all-CIF player at Crespi High School,
took over the reins of the Griffin program, but, fortunately, he
had lots of returning talent which earned the team a 10-2-1 pre-season
record and an early ranking of #2 in the county. However, the Griffins
received a rude welcome to the stronger Sunset League when they
were thumped by the county’s #1 team, Marina, 6-0 in the season
opener.
But led by captains Katie Ryan and Heather Thomas and leading scorer
Liz Willemse (16 goals, 14 assists), and midfielders Carrie Shinen
and Melissa Northam and defenders Sievers and Tredway, the team
rallied for a second place league finish, then won their first round
CIF game, defeating Trabuco Hills, 1-0, but fell in the CIF quarterfinals.
Willemse, the mainstay of Los Alamitos' offense with over 16 goals
and 14 assists earned her third straight Player of the Year award,
adding a Sunset League MVP honor to go with her two Empire League
awards. Willemse finished her career with 58 goals and 39 assists.
 1995-1996
Overall: 16-5-5
Sunset League 7-3-0 (1st)
CIF: Co-champions
Coach: Rich Manning
After a 6-2-4 start in some very tough tournament
action, the Griffins developed a strong passing game. Then, after
first round losses to Esperanza, Fountain Valley and Edison gave
them a 2-3 record in league, the Griffins swept
the second round to win
the league.
The Griffins opened CIF post-season play with
a pair of 1-0 wins over West Torrance and Santa Margarita, then
needed a miracle finish—goals from Carrie Shinen and Sommer
Hammoud in the final two minutes—to get past Torrance, 3-2,
to earn their first visit to the CIF championship game.
After a scoreless first half, Mission Viejo
deflected a fluke goal into the net in the 57th minute and Los Alamitos'
Carrie Shinen responded five minutes later with a classic goal but
that was it for the scoring and the game ended in a 1-1 tie with
the Diablos and Griffins sharing the CIF title.
Carrie Shinen (12 goals, 12 assists) and Andrea
Sievers (13 goals, 7 assists) shared the Sunset League MVP Award.
1996-1997
Overall: 24-4-2
Sunset League 9-1-0 (1st)
CIF: Champions
Coach: Rich Manning
After getting off to a 6-3 start, including a 5-3 record in the
Vanguard Cup and a 4-0-2 performance in the Excalibur Tournament,
Los Al gathered itself to win the Sunset League with a 9-1 record.
They began the CIF playoffs with a a 3-0 win over Jurupa Valley,
then followed that up with a two more 2-0 wins, over Colton and
Moreno Valley. In the semi-finals they rallied for two second half
goals to defeat Sunset League rival Edison 2-1, and then rode that
momentum to defeat Hart 3-1 in the championship game.
Defender-turned-forward Cyndi Tredway led the offense with 18 goals,
but defensive midfielder Sommer Hammoud earned the LA Times Player
of the Year award. Goalkeeper Jenny Willemse recorded 14 shutouts,
and the team outscored opponents 57-15 on the season.
1997-1998
Overall: 14-6-4
Sunset League 5-4-1 (2nd)
CIF: Champions
Coach: Rich Manning
As back-to-back CIF champs, the Griffins had everybody gunning for
them throughout the season. They had lost many of the fixtures on
their CIF championship teams, but they still had all-CIF defender
Carrie Hawkins, and all-league keeper Jenny Willemese and defender
Susan Palmer, and forwards Kristi Bissonnette, Nikki Szlak, Brittany
Savelkoul and Nicole Mullarkey who would all play at college.
Los Al went 7-1-3 in the preseason, losing a 1-0 thriller to Mission
Viejo in the Vanguard Cup title game, and then suffered PK shootout
losses to Trabuco Hills and Mission Viejo in the Excalibur Cup.
The Griffins lost their final two league games to finish second
in the Sunset League, but in the CIF playoffs they defeated Santa
Ana 5-1 and Poly 2-1 before falling to Capo Valley 2-0 in the quarterfinals.
1998-1999
Overall: 20-5-3
Sunset League 6-3-1 (2nd)
CIF: Semi-finals
Coach: Mossy Kennedy
With a very experienced line-up (seven of their key players played
Premier level club soccer), Los Al went all the way to the CIF semi-finals
before dropping a tough game to Claremont.
The Griffins were again led on defense by Susan Palmer (who would
be the Sunset League MVP and a future All-American at Pepperdine,
and then be drafted by the San Diego Spirit of the WUSA women’s
pro soccer league) and on offense by Nikki Szlak and Nicole Mularkey
(who would win state JC titles at Long Beach CC) and Kristi Bissonnette
(who would play with Palmer at Pepperdine).
The highlight of the year was the overtime shootout victory at Esperanza
in the second round of league play. Los Al broke a scoreless tie
by scoring with just over 30 seconds remaining. But the Aztecs scored
with just over ten seconds left on a desperation midfield kick that
took a real high bounce. Los Al freshman goalie Ashley DeAlejandro,
who registered 18 shutouts on the year, held off the Aztecs in PKs
to allow Los Al to advance in CIF play.
1999-2000
Overall: 10-11-3
Sunset League 3-6-1 (4th)
CIF: did not qualify
Coach: Mossy Kennedy
Injuries hampered Los Al’s chances before the season even
began. All-leaguer Kaeli Kentner went down with an ACL injury in
the spring club season and then center mid Lisa Mireles missed the
last half of the Sunset League season, forcing Los Al to field a
very young, inexperienced team.
2000-2001
Overall: 14-11-1
Sunset League 5-4-1 (3rd)
CIF: quarterfinals
Coach: Nicole Kelly
New coach Nicole Kelly inherited not only a fairly young team but
a less than placid team situation, but somehow the scrappy Griffins
eeked their way to a 5-4-1 league mark, and a CIF spot, mainly thanks
to sophomore goalie Ashley DeAlejandro whose play earned her the
Sunset League defensive Player of the Year.
The Los Al offense was led by sophomore forward Kristin Crenshaw
with nine goals. Overall the team outscored its opponents 41-23,
but 10 of those goals came in their first round CIF match, a 11-0
win over Montebello.
2001-2002
Overall: 12-5-7
Sunset League 5-1-4 (3rd)
CIF: quarterfinals
Coach: Nicole Kelly
Featuring a line-up that often had five freshmen on the field at
the same time, the Griffins outscored their opponents 40-16 and
lost only one league game. However, four Sunset League ties committed
the team to third place.
In CIF play, the Griffins jumped over Schurr 10-0, then got an overtime
goal from JV call-up Julie Coyle to defeat Quartz Hill 1-0. The
young Griffins then downed Diamond Bar 4-3 before falling to Capo
Valley 2-0.
2002-2003
Overall:
14-7-3
Sunset League 6-4 (3rd)
CIF: 2nd round
Coach: Nicole Kelly
Despite knee injuries that sidelined four players for the season,
the Griffins had the talent to knock off some of the best teams
in the nation
Going 7-2-3 in pre-season, the team won the Trabuco Hills Tournament,
downing Santa Margarita (the nation’s #3 team in pre-season
polls) 2-1 and perennial power Capo Valley
1-0.
Los Al won its first two games at Excalibur but Santa Margarita
gained revenge with a 2-1 win, and that loss was followed by a 2-0
setback to eventual CIF co-champ Mission Viejo.
League play saw Los Al earn the always sweet satisfaction of beating
Esperanza twice, but heartbreaking one-goal losses to Edison and
eventual league champ Fountain Valley consigned the team to 3rd
place.
That spot earned them a first round CIF Division I game against
the #1 seed, Harvard-Westlake, but the team responded with a convincing
4-1 win, but then fell to Mater Dei 2-1 in the second round.
2003-2004
Overall: 19-4-2
Sunset League 8-1-1 (1st)
CIF: 1st Round
Coach: Pat Rossi
Despite returning only one senior starter, Niccole Grimaldi, the
Griffins fielded one of its most experienced line-ups ever, and
the result was a 19-4-2 record and their first Sunset League title
since 1997.
The pre-season began slowly, as the club generated little offense
in two shutout losses. But then coach Pat Rossi switched to a 4-4-2
and the team responded with a win over nationally ranked Santa Margarita,
then captured the Trabuco Hills tournament and became the first
Los Al team to reach the finals of the prestigious, very competitive
Excalibur Cup, where the team defeated eventual CIF Division I co-champ
Capistrano Valley 2-1 in the semi-finals and then tied the other
co-champ San Clemente 2-2 in regulation before losing in a penalty
kick shootout.
The Griffins went 8-1-1 in a very competitive Sunset League, clinching
the title on the last day with a 4-0 win over Marina, good enough
to squeak by Edison which finished at 7-1-2 after tying its Sunset
finale against Huntington Beach.
Their play earned them a #1 ranking in Orange County, the #2 spot
in the LA Times Southern California rankings, and the #2 seed in
the CIF playoffs.
Unfortunately, the season came to a disappointing early end with
a 3-1 loss to Capistrano Valley in the first round of the CIF Southern
Section playoffs.
2004-2005
Overall: 22-2-5
Sunset League 7-0-3 (1st)
CIF: defeated Mater Dei 2-0 in championship game.
Coach: Pat Rossi
The 2004-05 Griffins finished with an overall record of 22-2-5,
won their second straight Sunset League championship and survived
four straight nail-biters in the first four rounds of the CIF playoffs.
The wins included a 2-1 win over Redondo Union on a water-logged
field that had been soaked by a week’s worth of rain, and
another muddy win over Mision Viejo. In the semi-finals against
powerful Santa Margarita, both teams played extremely tough defense,
but a high bounce gave Hayley Bolt the game-winning goal in a 1-0
win. The championship game was almost anti-climactic but Los Al
prevailed over Mater Dei 2-0 for their third section title. The
Los Al girls also ended up ranked as the Number One team in Orange
County, the CIF-Southern Section and in the entire country per Student
Sports magazine.
Hayley Bolt was Sunset League Player of the Year and she shared
CIF Player of the Year honors with Bo Medina. Six players received
scholarships to Div I NCAA schools.
2005-2006
Overall: 19-5-4
Sunset League 8-0-2 (2nd)
Coach: Pat Rossi
Having lost seven seniors (six to Div I scholarships), the Griffins
entered the season as an unknown commodity.
But Bo Medina (who would be named the Sunset League Offensive Player
of the Year) led an offense which scored fifty goals, while returning
All-CIF goalie Tori Rocke and Sunset League Defensive Player of
the Year Megan Strawther anchored a defense which allowed only 22
goals and recorded 15 shutouts
Even though the team won eight Sunset League matches (the school’s
second highest total ever), two tough losses to Esperanza gave the
Aztecs the league title.
The Griffins opened CIF play with one-goal wins over Flintridge
Sacred Heart and St. Lucy’s which set up a showdown with unbeaten
Upland. In one of the most exciting and most crowded matches ever
played at Laurel School, Katie Suits’ late goal sent the match
into overtime -- eventually, four of them before the visitors prevailed
in PKs. Upland would go on to win the CIF title and succeed the
Griffins as the nations top-ranked team.
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