TACKLE: Manteca's Cassie Gause fights a Central Valley midfielder for positioning.

M.J. Gravina/Sun Post

            Manteca High’s girls soccer program rebounded from an 0-2 start to Valley Oak League play with three consecutive wins, including a 5-3 rout of visiting Central Valley on Tuesday, April 1.

            It was Manteca’s first game with a healthy roster, though it didn’t help in the opening half of the contest, when the Buffs trailed the Hawks on three separate occasions.

            But Central Valley’s 3-2 lead faded to the drum of breakaway after breakaway in a three-goal second half that led Manteca to a key VOL win at Guss Schmeidt Field.

            “We have just had too many ups and downs,” Manteca coach Jon Avila said. “We have got to get consistent.”

            Cassie Gause chipped in two goals and three assists in the win, with 12 of Manteca’s 37 shots delivered on the Hawks’ goal. Freshman Brittany Costa added three goals with two assists, and came within the frame eight times.

“Cassie is my leader out there and Brittany is finally healthy and is going to score a lot of goals,” Avila said.

            The two were invaluable in a win over Central Valley, who upset East Union early in the season and sit at 2-3 in VOL action.

            “They outplayed us in the first 20 minutes, then after that they were ahead and tried to drop back and hold onto their lead,” Avila said. “We were having a lot of breakaway opportunities and finally found the net.”

            Manteca (3-2) hosted Sierra on Thursday, April 3, and will see East Union at home on Tuesday, April 8.

East Union 5, Ceres 3

            The Lancers upended Ceres on Tuesday after two scores from Amber Omstead and a goal each from Stephanie Garibay, Maribel Castaneda and Ashley McGuiness. Alyssa Wegner, Theresa Sianez, Julie Lennert,Rachel Bonds, Kaci Todd and Maribel Castaneda managed assists in the win.                     The Lancers (2-3) are at Manteca on Tuesday.

Sierra 6, Oakdale 1

            Stephanie Vanni, Nicole Vanni, Delaine Quaresma, Dianna Alfaro, Kayla Cody and Hannah Obammi each scored in a win over the Mustangs Tuesday. Michaela Scott added three assists while Alfaro and Sydnee Koscielcki chipped in one.