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Bishop O'Dowd Girls Soccer
Bishop O'Dowd Girls Soccer won the NorCal Division I title in Oakland, Calif. on Saturday, March 7, 2026.
OAKLAND, Calif. - Fueled by heart, grit, and a relentless, never-quit attitude, a talented group of soccer players is rewriting the record books for Bishop O’Dowd High School’s girls soccer, delivering a historic run of firsts for the program in Oakland.
#1 in California, #9 in the nation
On Saturday, the team won its first ever NorCal Championship, and it did so in Division I, the highest level of the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) state soccer tournament.
O’Dowd beat Buchanan High School from Clovis, in Fresno County, in dominating fashion. The Dragons 4-0 win secured them a spot in the State Championship match, where they will face perennial Southern California powerhouse Mater Dei from Santa Ana.
With the win, the Dragons improved to a perfect 19-0 on the season, with the victory thrusting them to the #1 ranking in California, and 9th in the nation, according to MaxPreps.com.
‘History in the making’
"History is in the making for us to have a soccer team in the first ever year of the CIF State Championship," Bishop O’Dowd Athletic Director Carlos Reed shared with KTVU, adding, "This is the first team headed into a State Championship undefeated in my research, so exciting."
The Dragon’s NorCal Division I title comes off another historic win, just ten days prior, when the team claimed the North Coast Section Open Division Championship with a 3-2 victory over soccer titan Carondelet High School.
It was the first time any team from O'Dowd, in any sport, had won a championship in the top open division.
Only one goal conceded in regular season
O'Dowd’s dominance was consistent and unyielding as the Dragons did not give up a single goal for the first 12 games of the season.
The shutout streak lasted until the second to last game of the regular season, when Piedmont High finally broke through. The Dragons won that game 9-1.
The final regular season tally for O'Dowd was an astounding 87 goals scored, 1 allowed.
Hard work, extra mile
Head coach Mark Savvides, who arrived to the program in 2023, said his players have taken to heart and executed every expectation put before them.
"I honestly haven’t seen a team work as hard or run as much as this group," the veteran coach told KTVU. "The players deserve the credit. They’ve embraced what’s being asked of them and they’re the ones going out and winning games."
Savvides said the team’s receptiveness to being coached and making adjustments as needed, are also a big part of its success.
"I can be firm with the players at times, but it comes from seeing how much potential they have," the coach explained, adding, "They’re also very open to tactical adjustments. Sometimes we tweak our shape, make positional changes, or adjust how we approach a game depending on the opponent. The girls trust those decisions and get on with it. There’s no complaining or second guessing, they just focus on doing their jobs for the team."
He said while they have made subtle adjustments depending on their opponents, at the core, they have stayed true to their style of play and their approach to this game they love.
"The main focus is on ourselves. We focus on what we can control, our principles, our strengths, and the way we want to play," the coach said.
Savvides celebrated his players’ dedication, their razor sharp focus, and their desire to elevate the team as a whole.
"The players genuinely work hard for each other, and that shows up every day in training and games. Our coaching staff sets high standards and expects the players to perform at their best, and the group has been very receptive to that," Savvides explained. "Due to that buy in, the environment pushes everyone to improve and helps bring the best out of the team."
Dig deeper:
The team is deep with unstoppable talent including from top scoring seniors Abby Forsgren and Chloe Keating, both committed to Division I collegiate programs and soccer phenom Sadie Siedel, who’s only a freshman, and ranked among the top five players nationally in her age group. She's also a member of the under 16 U.S. Women's National Team, and plays pre-professionally for the Oakland Soul.
In addition to Forsgren and Keating, who are headed to the University of Memphis and UC Davis respectively, the team has two other players set to play collegiate soccer, goalkeeper Parker Bridgman committed to Cal Poly Humboldt and Beatrice Wheeler who is headed to Bowdoin College in Maine.
Last week 49ers Cal-Hi Sports named Forsgren as a Co-Girls Soccer Player of the Year for the North Coast Section.
With a 19-0 record, Bishop O'Dowd High School girls soccer won NorCal Division I title in Oakland, Calif. on Saturday, March 7, 2026.
Team chemistry
Forsgren said the connection and bond this team has built are what makes this group of athletes so exceptional. It's a group that carries out traditions of bonding events and is committed to its pre-game rituals.
"We have all created our own little family. Every game we play we always are playing with and for each other," the athlete shared.
She can hardly contain her excitement over the hard-fought success of her team, with each season building off the last.
"I’m in utter disbelief and I am totally over the moon. It’s incredible to see all of our work over the course of the last few years paying off in all of our games," Forsgren shared. "The chemistry between all players on our roster through all levels is honestly incredible," she added.
The co-captain also noted that each and every teammate brings something to the table.
"Everyone is ready to step up, fill a spot and dominate. Everyone also realizes that whether you’re a starter or a gamechanger you can always add to the team. Whether it’s keeping the level high and challenging a teammate in practice or supporting someone on or off the field. It matters that everyone is ready to compete and more than that, ready to give 100% effort to the team and the game."
It’s indisputable that the team is gifted with a high caliber of talent, and that talent is deep and across the board, but it’s also the way they treat each other, observers note.
"There are no egos on this team, they all come from high level club backgrounds and check their egos at the door to form into one unit all working on the same goal," Reed said. "They also play with so much JOY!!!" he added as he praised Savvides’ coaching style of allowing the players to lead from within.
Savvides celebrated the girls for not only all the physical work they pour into the field, but their championship mentality and attitude.
"What makes this team exceptional is the culture. In every team you have culture champions and culture killers, and with this group every player contributes positively to the environment," the coach said. "When everyone is aligned and pulling in the same direction, working toward the same goal, it creates a really powerful team dynamic."
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He said the group of extraordinary girls has truly embraced all of the possibilities when you go above and beyond in effort.
"I’ve been coaching since 2011, so this is my 15th year and one thing I’ve learned is that when players truly buy in to working hard, you give yourself a chance to go far in any competition," Savvides explained. "By that I mean running with the ball, running without the ball, and putting in that extra effort for the team in every moment of the game."
Unforgettable season
Savvides said he couldn’t be prouder of these players who put the Dragon’s girls soccer team on the map.
"This will be a season no one involved with the program will ever forget. To win the Open Division of NCS, to win the NorCal Division 1 State Championship, and now to play in the first ever NorCal vs SoCal game is incredibly special," the coach said, adding, "It’s been an honour and a privilege to coach this team."
But he said it’s not over yet.
What's next:
In Sacramento on Saturday, the Dragons will face SoCal champs Mater Dei in O'Dowd's quest to secure the first ever state championship for the school's girls soccer program.
"Of course going 20 and 0 would be amazing, but even if we finished 19 and 1 it would still be an incredible season," Savvides shared.
The coach said this team has shown time and time again what it is capable of.
"There’s that saying, shoot for the moon and if you miss you’ll land among the stars. With this group, it feels like we shot for the moon and we’re on the moon," he said. "It’s a great life lesson. Aim as high as you possibly can because you never know what you might achieve."
The team is pumped to reach this pinnacle of high school sports and excited to put on display their hard work and chemistry.
"As long as we keep playing like we have for each other and giving 110%, we will finish the season on a positive note and with hopefully with O’Dowd’s first D1 girls soccer state title," Forsgren said.
A similar message from Savvides: "Do what we do best," he said, "And the final message, which I’ve said before every kickoff this season, is simple. ‘Have fun.’"
Bishop O'Dowd senior Abby Forsgren (left) with friend.
Editor's note: Sharon Song has a daughter on the Bishop O'Dowd girls soccer team.