Reigning Northern California Champion and #1 seed West Valley College held off #2 seed Sierra College of Rocklin 12-8 in a championship slugfest to claim its fourth consecutive 3C2A NorCal regional title Saturday at College of Marin. The Vikings (25-6) enter the state championship tournament, also at College of Marin's Indian Valley Campus in Novato, as the North's #1 seed.

Hannah Edwards lasered in scores in WVC's two opening possessions before Sierra (20-6) got goals from Bree Pierce and Mary Downs to knot it at 2-2 heading into the 2nd quarter.

The Vikings outscored the Wolverines 4-2 in the 2nd behind goals from Edwards, Taylor Hendricks, and Sofia Orlandi Lazzarini for a 6-4 Viking lead at the break.

The teams traded goals in a tense 3rd quarter, and it was anyone's game, with the Vikings holding an  8-6 lead heading to the 4th.

Viking keeper Aspen Tweed came up big in the 4th, holding the Wolverines to two goals. Meanwhile, the Vikings found the back of the cage four times. Aiyana Mendoza, the Coast Conference MVP, scored twice, and an Orlandi Lazzarini goal put the Vikings up 11-7 with 2:56 left. Bailey Hollick scored on the next possession to bring Sierra to within 11-8 with 2:32 remaining in the game.

Edwards ended the game as she started it, finding the twine twice at 2:15 and 1:58 to seal the 12-8 West Valley win. 

West Valley reached the final with a dominant 16-5 opening round win over Fresno City and a 16-6 win over Modesto J.C. in the semi-finals.

Article courtesy of Matt Folsom, 3C2A