On a cool afternoon in Felton, the San Lorenzo Valley varsity girls soccer team used a hot second half to shut out Georgiana Bruce Kirby Preparatory School 4-0 on Tuesday, Dec. 11.
Jessica Mittelbusher, Aileigh Boynton, Maddy Cope, and Ali Wittman all scored for the Cougars (1-2-1) as they won their first contest of the season.
SLV led 1-0 at halftime on Mittelbusher’s goal, despite mustering few shots on goal and little pressure during most of the first half against an undermanned Kirby squad that had only one substitute on the bench.
But the Cougars scored again in the first minute after halftime and never looked back
“Our team picks it up in the second half,” said Wittman, a senior captain, after the game. “I’m really proud of our team.”
Cougars coach Heidi Romswinckel encouraged her squad to increase the intensity and play more quickly after halftime.
“In the second half we started going to the ball more and communicating more,” Romswickel said. “We played at a slower tempo in the first half. When we play against the leading teams in league, we won’t be able to do that.”
Aileigh Boynton scored in the 41st minute, just after halftime, from about 10 yards out after beating two defenders. Three minutes later, Cope blasted a shot past the keeper. Wittman scored the fourth goal of the game on a bouncing ball that sneaked into the goal from a seemingly impossible angle on the left side in the 64th minute to make the score 4-0.
The Cougars will play several more non-league games before opening Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League competition Tuesday, Dec. 18, when they host St. Francis High of Watsonville at 3:30 p.m.
A complete schedule is posted online at www.slvhs.slv.k12.ca.us.
Romswinckel said the team will have to play as a unit this season to challenge the strong teams in the SCCAL, but she believes it can be done.
“I don’t really care about wins and losses,” she said. “All I want is for them to play the best they can against everybody.”
At a glance
The San Lorenzo Valley Cougars varsity girls soccer team is made up of junior Marlee Amos, sophomore Natalie Gallagher, freshman Megan Marro, senior captain Hollianne McClure, senior Irie Moran, senior Mikayla Peterson, junior Brooke Scothorn, sophomore Natasha Tanner, sophomore Madison Thompson, senior Julie Wingert, senior captain Ali Wittman, senior Lauren Wood, senior Steffi Zavaroni and four sets of sisters.
The sisters are Jessica and Raquel Mittelbusher, a junior and a freshman; Aileigh and Maura Boynton, a sophomore and a freshman; Adrianne and Maddy Cope, a junior and a freshman; and Synclaire Reyes, a junior, whose sister is Heidi Romswinckel, the coach.
