Oakland's Bishop O'Dowd HS women's soccer team caps historic season

The Dragons finished the regular season undefeated and look to capture their first NorCal championship

Feb. 21, 2026 at 5:03am

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Oakland's Bishop O'Dowd High School girl's soccer team capped an historic regular season, finishing 14-0 and extending their unbeaten streak to 32 games dating back to last year. The turnaround began with the arrival of head coach Mark Savvides three years ago, along with talented freshman classes that re-made the roster. Led by senior stars Abby Forsgren and Chloe Keating, as well as freshman sensation Sadie Siedel, the Dragons outscored opponents 87-1 this season and are now eyeing their first NorCal championship.

Why it matters

Bishop O'Dowd's remarkable rise from relative obscurity to the top team in the North Coast Section highlights the transformative impact of strong coaching, dedicated players, and a winning culture. The team's success has galvanized the local community and brought renewed attention to the school's athletics program.

The details

The Dragons' turnaround began with the arrival of head coach Mark Savvides three years ago, who told his team before the season that their goal was to go undefeated and win everything. The team has been led by senior stars Abby Forsgren and Chloe Keating, the only four-year starters, as well as freshman phenom Sadie Siedel, the reigning Northern California Player of the Year in her age group who also plays for the U.S. Women's National Team. The Dragons' dominant defense has given up just one goal all season, while the high-powered offense has scored 87 goals.

  • The Dragons finished the regular season 14-0 last week, beating Berkeley High.
  • Going back to last year, the O'Dowd Dragons are now unbeaten in their last 32 regular season games.

The players

Mark Savvides

The head coach of the Bishop O'Dowd High School girl's soccer team, who has led the team's turnaround over the past three years.

Abby Forsgren

A senior and one of the team's four-year starters, who is expected to take home numerous awards this year as one of the top scorers in the state.

Chloe Keating

A senior and the other four-year starter on the team, who was last year's conference player of the year.

Sadie Siedel

A freshman sensation who is the reigning Northern California Player of the Year in her age group and also plays for the U.S. Women's National Team and the Oakland Soul pre-professional team.

Parker Bridgeman

The team's goalkeeper, who has had to deal with Sadie Siedel's talent in practice.

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What they’re saying

“We said that we want to go undefeated, we want to go all the way, we want to win everything.”

— Mark Savvides, Head Coach

“Well my reaction to that i was so ready to go, after losing in the semi's of NCS and state last year I was just so excited I was so pumped, just like yeah, let's go get it this year, let's go win!”

— Abby Forsgren, Senior

“Even though we play for different clubs we all came together and created this like kind of super team of girls who were ready to compete and everyone wants to win so I just think that's a great combination.”

— Sadie Siedel, Freshman

“She has a lot of talent, she's amazing! It makes me frustrated because I'm a keeper I have to deal with her at practice”

— Parker Bridgeman, Goalkeeper

“We're stacked this year and we have so much talent and so much passion so it's been an incredible season and definitely something we've been working for the past couple years.”

— Dahlia Anderson

What’s next

The Dragons will look to capture their first NorCal championship in program history as they head into the playoffs.

The takeaway

Bishop O'Dowd's remarkable turnaround from relative obscurity to the top team in the North Coast Section showcases the transformative power of strong coaching, dedicated players, and a winning culture. The team's historic season has galvanized the local community and brought renewed attention to the school's athletics program.