Girls varsity soccer braved the elements last Friday and Saturday at Sierra High School. On a rain-soaked field, the Cougars beat Waterford, 3-2, and lost to Sierra, 4-2, and Galt, 3-0. And although the 1-2 finish wasn’t ideal, Weston Ranch head coach Bailey Nelson didn’t let the weather affect her outlook, and she remained optimistic about the remainder of the season.
“The weather was awful on Saturday,” Nelson said. ” I’ve never seen that much rain, and everyone was drenched. But, we have never been within two goals in any previous matches with Sierra, and it was a game-changer as far as our team confidence goes.”
The Cougars trailed the Timberwolves 3-2 late in the second half, and Weston Ranch needed a goal to tie. But Sierra scored its fourth goal with one minute remaining to seal the 4-2 win. Nelson was pleased with the overall effort of her squad.
“Anabelle Mayorca did an outstanding job playing goal for us against Sierra,” Nelson said. “She shut down most of Sierra’s scoring rushes and was definitely the player of the game.”
Adriana Escobedo, Sofia Barrera, and Leslie Juarez knocked home goals for the Cougars in the 3-2 win over Waterford.
Juarez and Barrera found the back of the net for Weston Ranch in the 4-2 loss to Sierra.
Weston Ranch has one non-league game before they enter play in the SJAA on January 2nd at Linden HS. The Cougars play former VOL foe East Union on December 19th at Weston Ranch. Nelson sees the last pre-season match as a great way to build on the solid performance against Sierra and eagerly awaits league play.
“We lost to Sierra, 4-2, but we had high energy and really competed for the whole game,” Nelson said. “After the game concluded, I believe we are ready to make a statement in the SJAA.”
Game times for the December 19th match with the Lancers are 4 pm for the JV and 5:45 for the Varsity.
