By Chandler Drachslin, Staff Writer
16 January 2013
CIF champions. Three league titles in a row. Undefeated in league. These are some of the goals the girls’ 2012-2013 varsity soccer team set forth this year. Coming off a Big VIII league title with 14 returning players, the girls have never seemed so prepared to do damage.
In her sixth year as head coach, Jaimi Brewer remarked, “The girls have stepped up and are playing some of the best soccer I have seen any of my teams play in my five years.”
The girls’ soccer program is no rookie to success though. In the past five years the girls’ squad has accumulated a record of 82-22-24 and three league championships.
Coach Brewer feels that “the girls need to be accountable to themselves and their team” in order to be successful throughout the year, just as they have been in the past. “They all want the same things, and putting in the work leads them to it,” Brewer said.
The new competition of the Inland Valley league presents no challenge to the soccer squad. The ladies easily handled Rancho Verde in the league opener 6-0 with astute goals from Shelby Samuelson (10), Abbie Meneses (11), Peyton Perea (10) and Victoria Gama (11). The girls continued their triumph by defeating Arlington 4-0 and Vista del Lago 7-2.
Coach Brewer commented, “The Vista del Lago game was the best game our team has played. Everything clicked, and we had total team effort and scored ESPN-type goals. It gave the girls confidence that this is our year if we keep working hard.”
With over 50 percent of the team consisting of underclassmen, the high level of play and experience insinuates a bright future for the program. The captains of the team include Mckenna Mackey (12) and Meneses. While the captains must fill valuable leadership roles, Coach Brewer feels that anybody on her team can conform to the role of a leader; players like midfielder Perea, resilient defender Taylor Russell (10), tenacious forwards Gama, Megan Pfrunder (11), Jonnae Joseph (10) and the team’s anchor and goal-keeper Chase Ballard (11) are prime examples.
The Lady Bears are currently first place in league with an overall record of 4-3-6 and a league record of 3-0. The girls kick it off next with a home game against second place and league contender Canyon Springs at Poly.
Perea summed it up: “I think we have a really strong team this season. We’re very young with a lot of talent.”