Girls Soccer vs St. Bonaventure

For a couple of hours on a cool Southern California afternoon, stretching into the early evening, life on the competitive soccer pitch seemed almost normal. Almost. The Cate girls varsity soccer team traveled to Ventura to take on the Seraphs of St. Bonaventure High School for our league opener. Bringing some confidence in our possession-based game and an eagerness to stamp our mark on the league, the team exuded energy, determination, and composure from the first whistle. Early on, the strategy became clear; we needed to neutralize the St. Bonnie long ball to their forward line while changing the point of attack to find a way past a solid central defender. Our midfield worked tirelessly to win fifty-fifty balls and set up the attack. Jolea Moes ’21 and Emie Nam ’23 bolted down the midfield, and Charlotte Weis ’22, Tali Nam ’21, and Francesca Castellarin ’22 made probing runs on the flanks. Forwards Coco Le Roy ’22, Gigi Geyer ’23, and Ryan Lack ’21 found themselves with the ball in and around the penalty area, but couldn’t quite latch onto the final pass for a scoring shot. The Seraphs countered often and quickly, but Rachel Ma ’23 and Olivia Dorion ’22 closed down a speedy forward, and Tamsyn Taptich ’23 and Josie Frazier ’24 provided coordinated pressure and cover. These two outside backs also got involved in forays into the opponents’ half, which helped keep our offensive pressure high and paid off later in the game. Despite opportunities on both ends, and a couple of clutch saves, which would have been spectacular for most goalkeepers, but made to look almost routine by Taylor Kane ’21, the game entered the seventy-fifth minute scoreless.