Mendota edges Princeton 1-0 for first regional title since 2012

MENDOTA - As the final horn sounded, Mendota senior Crystal Garcia and junior Addy Allensworth leapt into each other’s arms at midfield and jumped up and down.

Horns blared from cars parked atop the hill overlooking the stadium, and the Trojans on the sidelines rushed onto the field to celebrate with their teammates.

The moment was a long time coming, especially for Garcia and fellow four-year varsity players Noemi Arteaga and Kaley Siemer.

The trio won only one game as freshmen but on Tuesday celebrated a regional championship as the No. 1-seeded Trojans beat No. 4 Princeton 1-0 on a rainy, windy day that delayed the start of the game by 45 minutes.

“It feels so good,” Garcia said. “We went from one win our freshman year and now we just won a regional, so it’s really rewarding. It’s really amazing.”

The regional title is the program’s first since 2012.

“Even before this group, we got to a regional final and gave it everything we had,” Mendota coach Nick Myers said. “We’ve been taking small steps, getting more girls involved in playing soccer outside the season. They’ve been working hard. They set it as a goal this year. We really thought we had the group. We had a couple girls come out for soccer from softball and track that helped us out. Our freshman class was really good. They were just motivated from the get-go.”

The Trojans (15-7-1) advance to the Alleman Sectional where they will play Saturday against the winner of Wednesday’s regional final between Byron and Stillman Valley.

“We played a lot of Big Northern teams this year, but we did not play Byron. We did get to see Stillman (a 2-0 loss),” Myers said. “It’s going to be tough, but if we can play like we did tonight and we stay focused and not just be satisfied with a regional win, I think we have a good shot.”

On Tuesday, Princeton controlled possession for the bulk of the first 10 minutes and had multiple scoring chances, including a shot by Olivia Sandoval that clanged off the crossbar just 1:56 into the game.

But the Trojans went on a counter attack with Arteaga sending a long through ball that connected with Garcia, who raced by the defense and found the back with 28:52 left in the opening half.

“Noemi sent me a beautiful through ball and I just ran onto it,” Garcia said. “I outran them and I shot it.

“It definitely did (give us momentum). I think it made us more excited and pushed us to work harder to keep that lead.”

The Tigresses continued to get more scoring opportunities than the Trojans, but Mendota goalie Ariana Sanchez kept Princeton off the board.

“I just used my instincts,” Sanchez said. “I just tried to do my best. I do year round work and I try to make myself be able to save all these shots.”

Sanchez finished with 11 saves.

“Ari has come so far as a goalkeeper,” Myers said. “She’s worked hard. She doesn’t have a captain badge this year but she’s a captain for us. She’s one of our best leaders. She’s always talking in the back. Her confidence is picking up. Without her communicating in the back, I don’t know if we’re here tonight.”

The Tigresses had the 11 shots stopped by Sanchez plus one off the crossbar and several others that were just wide. Mendota, meanwhile, finished with three shots on goal.

“We played hard,” Princeton coach David Gray said. “We struggled to control the ball like we’re used to. Our touches were heavy, so execution was a little tough. We were better in the first half. We were definitely getting more chances in front of the goal. I think in the first half, we were the better team, but that’s how soccer goes sometimes. (Garcia) got loose once and she buries it, and that’s the game really. The second half I thought we still played hard, but it wasn’t as clean and we didn’t get in behind them as much and get as many chances.

“They were very sound tactically and set up to defend very well. In the second half they made a change and put an extra back in and made it even more difficult for us to find space.”

The Tigresses finish 13-11 for their first winning season since 2022.

“It’s a step forward,” Gray said. “I think we’ve improved the last two years. We’re coming back strong with mostly sophomores who are going to be juniors next year. It’s always disappointing to end the season. I’m especially sad for the seniors. We’re going to miss those three girls (Ella Grey, Devin Dever and Maddie Oertel). They brought a lot to the program. I’m glad they got to go out with a strong, winning season. I think we’re going in the right direction.”

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Mendota's Crystal Garcia reacts after scoring a goal as Princeton's Yocelynn Robledo (left) and keeper Maddie Oertel watch the ball go into the net during the Class 1A Regional final game on Tuesday, May 20, 2025 at Mendota High School. (Scott Anderson)