After sending nine Vikings to four-year programs following the 2022 season, the 2023 West Valley team that hit the water at last weekend's Nyquist Invitational had a decidedly different look. Not that it mattered much, as the 2023 Vikings took up right where the undefeated 2022 NorCal and Coast champions left off: putting a tsunami of points on the board and stopping opponents with suffocating defense and brickwall goaltending.
West Valley averaged 17 goals-per game at the Nysquist, taking care of San Joaquin Delta 25-1 and Cal Poly SLO 15-12 Friday, and holding off a good Long Beach City squad 11-6 Saturday morning. WVC capped the tourney with a methodical 21-6 Saturday afternoon win over Modesto.
Newcomer Berkecan Yalcin led WVC with a tourney-high 18 goals, while fellow first year players Mateja Cetkovic and Terrence O'Donnell had 10 and eight tallies, respectively. Newcomers Ethan MacLeod, Phil Portisch and Shayan Rezvani finished with six goals each. Second-year goalkeeper Wyatt Beymer was stellar, picking up three wins, while newcomer Ethan Ivey grabbed the other win.
The Vikings (4-0) head to UC Davis Sept. 9-10 to take on a trio of four-year schools. WVC opens Saturday against UC Merced at 12:30, followed by UC Davis at 3:00pm. The Vikings battle San Jose St. Sunday at noon.
