The varsity girls soccer team, about halfway through their season, carried a strong record at five wins and two losses. Looking to up their win count to six in the last game before winter break, the girls took on the Jupiter Warriors Dec. 19. Three goals for and just one against later, the Patriots secured the win and a new record of 6-1.

From the get-go, it was clear the Patriots were dominating the game early on as the ball rarely escaped Heritage’s offensive half of the field. The offense had multiple close chances and strong shots on goal, but the score remained 0-0 from the opening whistle to the water break halfway through the first half. 

The breakthrough for the Patriots came later in the first half when junior Samantha Villaverde beat the defense by getting the ball over the goal line off of junior Courtney Caruso’s corner kick. 

When the Warriors gained possession and took off dribbling to the goal, Heritage’s strong defense turned them right back around. A key player in this game was eighth grader Mattie Hall, who shut down the offensive Warriors, causing turnovers, multiple times. In addition to strong defense, Hall set up the offense – as shown by her two assists. 

As a team, the girls picked up momentum during the second half. Sophomore midfielder Emma Torres scored the second goal shortly after halftime, and junior Jordyn Norwood scored again with about twelve minutes remaining in the game.

The final whistle signaled a well-deserved victory for the Patriots, securing their triumph in a 3-1 win. Although this game wraps up soccer for 2023, check out the action in 2024 during their first game back from break against Calvary Christian Academy Jan. 9.

_{All photos taken by Zoe Horwitz.}