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Girls’ soccer: Matheson is Gatorade California player of the year

Los Angeles Times staff writer Ben Bolch
By Ben Bolch
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Senior midfielder and forward Lauren Matheson of Mission Viejo has been selected the Gatorade California girls’ soccer player of the year after a season in which she had nine goals and 15 assists, leading the Diablos to the second round of the Southern Section Division I playoffs.

The South Coast League player of the year and a member of the U.S. Soccer Federation under-20 women’s national team pool, Matheson also has a 3.49 grade-point average.

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‘For my money, Lauren Matheson is the best,’ Larry Draluck, Matheson’s club coach with the So Cal Blues, said in a statement. ‘She can take my team on her back and win games. She’s got the passing, she wins balls, she defends; she’s just such a great all-around player. I can’t think of anyone who is remotely close to her with the complete package.’

Matheson has signed with Santa Clara and is a finalist for the Gatorade national player of the year award, which will be announced later this month.

--Ben Bolch

Varsity Times Insider
Ben Bolch

Ben Bolch has been a Los Angeles Times staff writer since 1999. He is serving his second stint as the UCLA beat writer, which seems fitting since he has covered almost every sports beat except hockey and horse racing. Bolch is also the author of the recently released book “100 Things UCLA Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.” He previously covered UCLA basketball from 2010-11 before going on to cover the NBA and the Clippers for five years. He happily traded in gobs of hotel points and airline miles to return to cover UCLA basketball and football in the summer of 2016. Bolch was once selected by NBA TV’s “The Starters” as the “Worst of the Week” after questioning their celebrity journalism-style questions at an NBA All-Star game and considers it one of his finer moments.

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