Soccer Game Preview: Hilmar vs. Ripon

Hilmar hasn't had much luck against Ripon recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Hilmar Yellowjackets will take on the Ripon Indians at 6:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Hilmar is coming into the matchup fresh off a high-scoring shootout with Hughson that saw the pair combine for ten shots on goal. Hilmar never let Hughson onto the board and left with a 7-0 win on Tuesday. Brisa Gonzales was a massive factor in the win as she booted in three goals all by herself.

Meanwhile, Ripon waltzed into their contest on Wednesday with three straight wins... but they left with four. They were the clear victor by a 5-0 margin over the Cougars. Given the Indians' advantage in MaxPreps' California soccer rankings (they are ranked 171st, while the Cougars are ranked 831st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Ripon's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 9-3-2. Those victories came thanks to their defensive effort, having only given up one goal over those four games. As for Hilmar, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won four of their last five matches, which provided a nice bump to their 10-3-3 record this season.

Hilmar beat Ripon by a goal in their previous meeting back in January of 2024, winning 1-0. Will Hilmar repeat their success, or does Ripon have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.