Walking into their game against the Venice High Indians with a 1-1-1 record, the girls soccer team was looking for a win to “kick” off the first winning streak of the season. After an intense game, the Patriots did just that, taking down the Indians on our home turf.
From the first horn until halftime, the teams constantly switched possession of the ball. Whenever the Indians had a break towards the cage, Patriot defensive players such as senior captains Nyema Freeman and Dori Johnson chased down the opponent’s offense.
The girls picked up momentum during the second half of the game. Johnson scored the first goal of the game, followed by a second goal by sophomore forward Samantha Villaverde.
“[Our season] was off to a little bit of a rocky start, but we are starting to really play as a team and we’re doing pretty well now,” Villaverde said. She also added that her goal going into this game was “to score some goals and win,” an objective she and her teammates followed through with.
The team’s drive didn’t end here. Junior forward Lilly Sargent-Burns scored the team’s third goal and Freeman scored her first goal of the season, adding to the team’s total of four. “It felt really accomplishing to score,” Sargent-Burns said.
Powerful defense, along with goalkeeping by sophomore goalie Jillian Miliffe, kept the Indians to one goal, which they scored off a penalty kick.
Overall, tonight’s game was a stepping stone to the team’s later goals – such as winning the 5A D14 district. The girl’s next home game is against St. Brendan Tuesday, Nov. 29.
“The game for tonight was a collective win. We played as a team, and when you play as a team, you’re able to get the victory,” assistant coach Lito Garro said.
The girls soccer team took on the Venice High School Indians Nov. 21. After a strong game on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball, the Patriots pulled away with a 4-1 victory. (Photos/Zoe Horwitz)
