Monica Gerardo

SCHOOL: Simi Valley

YEAR: Senior

SEASON AT A GLANCE: No player in the area meant more to her team than Gerardo. Picked as a border-line playoff contender, the Pioneers struggled early before Gerardo requested a move up to striker from midfield.

She finished with 38 goals, 15 assists and nearly every Simi Valley offensive record. She was also named Southern Section Division I offensive player of the year. The Pioneers (21-5-2) earned a share of the Marmonte League championship and advanced to the second round of the Division I playoffs.

“Without Monica our team would have been lucky to break .500; with her we were a contender all the time,” said Simi Valley Coach Mark Johnson, who completed his 14th year with the program. “In half our games she was the only one who scored.”

Gerardo has signed a letter of intent to play for NCAA finalist Notre Dame.

She was a member of the Under-17 national team in 1992-93 and is a strong candidate for this year’s Under-20 national roster. In addition, the National Soccer Coaches Assn. recently rated Gerardo the country’s top high school midfielder.

“She was the finest player I’ve ever seen in Ventura County,” Johnson said.

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ALL-AREA FIRST AND SECOND TEAMS: FIRST TEAM: Forwards: Allyson Munday Buena, Sr., first-team All-Southern Section, first team All-Channel League, 22 goals and 15 assists; Nicole Bucciarelli, Grant, Sr., 48 goals, 18 assists, has signed letter of intent with UC-Irvine; Stephanie Rigamat, Crescenta Valley, So., second-team All-Southern Section Division II, 18 goals and 17 assists; Midfielders: Monica Almaraz, Buena, Sr., offensive player of the year, Southern Section Division II, Channel League player of the year, 27 goals and 25 assists; Michelle George, Chatsworth, Jr., first-team All-West Valley Conference, 15 goals; Jamie Mond, Grant, Sr. 26 goals and 38 assists; Defenders: Kristi Giordano, Canyon, Sr., second-team All-Southern Section Division III, Foothill League player of the year, 14 goals and two assists; Marrica Pichaikul, Grant, Sr. 2 goals. Kim Pickup, Chatsworth, Jr., first-team All-West Valley Conference, 8 goals. Vanessa Thiele, Chaminade, Jr., first team All-Southern Section Division II, Mission League player of the year, 9 goals and 8 assists; Goalkeeper: Jennifer LaFemina, La Reina, Sr., first team All-Southern Section Division IV, Tri-Valley League goalkeeper of the year, 15 shutouts, has signed a letter of intent to UC-Irvine; Coach of the Year--Neezer McNab, Notre Dame. In McNab’s third year, the Knights improved to 17-6 and qualified for the Southern Section Division II playoffs. Notre Dame was 6-10-2 in 1993-94. SECOND TEAM: Forwards: Cristie Burnett, Canyon, Sr., third-team All-Southern Section Division III, 21 goals and six assists; Sarah Aberle, Westlake, Sr., first-team All-Southern Section Division I, first team All-Marmonte League, 17 goals and six assists; Monica Griffiths, Paraclete, Sr., first-team All-Southern Section Division IV, first-team High Desert League, 31 goals, 10 assists; Midfielders: Tami Pivnick, Chaminade, Jr., third team All-Southern Section Division II, Mission League co-most valuable offensive player of the year, 22 goals and 15 assists; Jessica Post, Harvard-Westlake, Jr., third-team All-Southern Section Division II, first team All-Mission League, 12 goals and three assists; Cande Ruiz, Santa Clara, So., first-team All-Southern Section Division IV, first-team All-Frontier League, 22 goals; Defenders: Brenna Vincent, Notre Dame, Jr., first-team All-Mission League, three goals and five assists; Kari Attebery Ventura, Sr., third-team All-Southern Section Division II, first team All-Channel League, 2 goals and 2 assists; Danica Liberman, Westlake, Jr., second-team All-Southern Section, Marmonte League defensive player of the year, seven goals and six assists; Katie Russell, La Reina, Sr., first-team All-Southern Section Division IV, Tri-Valley League most valuable defensive player, has signed a letter of intent with University of San Francisco; Goalkeeper: Kristin Kiley-Boynton, Grant, Sr., 16 shutouts, 0.8 goals against average.