Of the top 12 point-scorers for the 2024 Hawks, seven were freshmen. For a team that made a deep run into the playoffs, the idea of seven experienced returners figured to bode well for the 2025 squad.
But as Las Positas prepares for another postseason run, all the experience they expected is gone. Last year, the Hawks finished with a 13-8-4 record and reached the second round of the playoffs after upsetting the No. 1 seed. That squad was led by freshmen Saul Tecle and Frank Hinostroza, who accounted for 55 percent of the team’s goals.
But Tecle transferred after one season to UC Davis. Hinostroza left the team for personal reasons. The Hawks had a void in leadership and offensive punch.
Now, with one regular-season game remaining, 11 of the Hawks’ 12 leading scorers are freshmen. The one sophomore? Arteen Arianmanesh.
In stepped Arianmanesh. As a returning sophomore midfielder, he accepted the responsibility of the captain’s role. With only three returners from last season, the Hawks needed his leadership as much as his striking.
Arianmanesh leads the Hawks with composure. He communicates well on the field and manages the energy of the team with his own, especially when moments get tense. He’s the team’s best forward. But he’s able to keep the ball moving without the over-aggression that could be expected from one of the few veterans.
It’s the balance the Hawks have needed. The responsibility of scoring and the burden of leading.
He is currently leading the team in both points and assists, which shows his soccer IQ is nothing short of intact.
Being a captain, he carries the responsibility of making sure everyone’s head is in the game. The void is filled.
“As a captain,” said Arianmanesh, who leads the team in assists and is second in goals. “I have to make sure the team’s morale is always high and heads are always up. When we get scored on, our heads go down, and it causes us to lose the game or concede.”
While two-star players dominated last year’s offense, these Hawks have used a much more collective effort in scoring. Las Positas relies on chemistry and execution more than the sheer talent of its best scorers.
After starting the season unbeaten in their first 10 games, including an eight-game win streak, the Hawks crashed back to earth.
It was Evergreen Valley who snapped Las Positas’ eight-game losing streak. The same school the Hawks upset in the playoffs for arguably the biggest win in the program’s history. The Hawks went back to San Jose and got blanked 2-0. Not quite revenge for Evergeen Valley but an illustration for the Hawks how different things were this season.
Las Positas lost again, 2-0, at De Anza before consecutive ties. The four-game winless streak put them in jeopardy of spiraling.
But the Hawks righted their ship, in part because of the leadership of Arianmanesh. They’re 12-3-4 overall and 5-3-3 in Coast Conference-South.
Last season, the Hawks also cruised before conference action. But that team treaded water in the Coast Conference. It cost them in the postseason. Las Positas was awarded a No. 17 seed, so low in the bracket that all their playoff games were on the road.
These Hawks have stayed above water in Conference. If they finish the season strong, they could be looking at a higher seed. With so many freshmen on the squad, who will be making their postseason debuts, it is ideal for Las Positas to secure a high enough seed to earn a home game.
But any chance of another deep postseason run will be grounded in their chemistry and focus, and their ability to fix the little things that resulted in third-round elimination in last year’s 3C2A NorCal Regionals. Arianmanesh remembers. He and sophomore Mark Sorensen are the only players who were on the field for that defeat at Merced.
“I use last year as a scenario in my head,” Arianmanesh said. “It really did hurt when we got knocked out of the third round. These little mental things we need to keep track of are gonna be big when it gets to those late rounds. Because one little mistake can cost a game.”
Arianmanesh must get that message across. Or these freshmen will learn the hard lesson, just as he did.
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TOP PHOTO: Arteen Arianmanesh (No. 11) dribbling against Chabot on Oct. 21. As a returning sophomore midfielder, Arianmanesh leads the team in both points and assists, while also fulfilling his role as captain of the team. (Photo by Alan Lewis/ Special to The Express)
Annie Moore is the Sports Editor of The Express. Follow her on X @SanJosAnnie.
