The girls varsity soccer team (4-3) defeated Canyon Crest Academy (1-9) at home in their first league game of the season with a final score of 5-0 yesterday, paving the way for the rest of the season. There are big footsteps to fill following last season where TPHS was league and CIF Open Division champions.
Right off the bat, TPHS put the offensive pressure on CCA, quickly gaining possession of the ball. In just the first few minutes of the game, the team had already switched play across the field twice — a pattern that continued into the match.
“I feel like we were connecting [with each other] and really executed what we did in practice,” Isabella Forrester (9) said.
This proved to be true as TPHS took shot after shot on goal — in the span of just eight minutes, the team was awarded four corners. They were extremely effective at bringing the ball up the sideline and crossing it into the18-yard box demonstrating great skill and executing some beautiful passes. In particular, Ashley O’Regan (12) used both her speed and skill to her advantage as she sent the ball up the field to the goal, time after time.
For head coach Martyn Hansford, many of these plays were some of his team’s best moments.
“In the first half, there was a really good combo — we’ve been working on moving the ball quickly, one touch, two touch — there were some really good combination plays which [the team] had,” Hansford said. “I think we hit the post or the crossbar, we didn’t score off it, but the [playing] was really good. We’ve been back seven days since the break and they worked really hard on that. It was nice to see it actually in the game.”
As the first half carried on, Nami Walsh (10) put pressure on the Ravens’ defensive line and executed some tricky footwork to get around the opponent. An attempt to bring the ball up the right sideline was foiled by a goal kick that was awarded to CCA and shortly after TPHS received an offside call. This call was followed by a shot on goal by Forrester and then an offside call for CCA.
With 13 minutes left in the first half, Forrester scored. With just a light touch and a series of juggles, the ball bounced into the net. Forrester said this was the highlight of the match for her, even though she “wasn’t expecting [the ball] to go in.”
Ten minutes before halftime, the ball was taken up both sidelines again and again as TPHS attempted to score another goal. Defense remained strong, particularly with Ava Guimond (9) and Edra Bello (12) executing some successful, tricky redirects of the ball. The team earned another corner with six minutes of the first half remaining.
Following three shots on goal by TPHS in the beginning of the second half, Walsh scored with 30 minutes remaining into the upper left corner of the net, just out of reach of the goalie’s glove. TPHS was on a roll after that point, scoring three more goals in quick succession by Maya Washington (10), Kate Conway (10) and Bello. At the 26-minute mark, the TPHS goalie made a “nice save,” as the Jumbotron put it.
For O’Regan, “scoring those four goals in a couple of minutes” was the highlight of the game for her. O’Regan made the most of her time under the lights, even appreciating the moments she spent on the bench to catch her breath.
“I liked being on the bench, honestly, because you get to cheer with your teammates and it’s just fun and exciting,” O’Regan said.
In particular, as this was a home game, the team felt extra connected and in sync on their own turf.
“We definitely come to games a lot more prepared and we’re talking in the team room and discussing the game plan a little bit more,” O’Regan said. “We get to be with each other and play music, so it’s fun.”
As the game came to a close, TPHS finished strong. Their consistent passes continued, even when CCA tried to put the pressure on in a last-minute attempt to score. TPHS countered all their efforts, staying calm, cool and collected.
“A win always feels good,” Hansford said. “We keep our feet on the ground, never get too high when things are good and not too low when things are bad. It’s just the first game of the season, so it’s nice to start with a home win.”
