On a cold and brisk night at Bonita Vista High (BVH), Jan. 24, BVH’s girls’ varsity soccer team played against Eastlake High School (EHS) in a crucial matchup. The game was equally a battle from the cold weather and for possession of the ball. From the start till the very end of the game, it was an even battle amongst the two teams, but BVH won after scoring the only goal. 

According to center midfielder and senior Luna Beaulieu (10), the team feels particularly close to each other this year, as they motivate each other and encourage each other to get better. In particular, the seniors altogether feel that this has been a good final season for them.

“I think I’ve played very well. I feel the most confident I have ever been in all four years, and I’m just having fun with it,” Beaulieu said. “I’ve known everyone [on the team] for so long and we’re like one big family. I’ve been on varsity all four years so I’ve seen all the generations come and go, and now it’s my time to go. It’s sad but I’ve made so many friendships that will last forever.” 

At the beginning of the game, it was centered around the midfield as no team could really crack the other’s defensive line. The pace was quick as possession switched between both teams. There were a few shots on goal for the first few minutes of the game for both BVH and EHS, demonstrating how good the teams were defensively. Throughout the game it is easy to see how determined and motivated both teams were to win. BVH girls’ soccer head coach Kiko Medina commented on how his team’s defense performed. 

“I think our defense played well enough. Our defense definitely bent but did not break and we defended well overall,” Medina said. 

As the game settled in, BVH tried to start opening up the field by building from the back. They made strong passes to their teammates and started gaining more opportunities to score on the opposing goal. Medina noted their strategy for advancing with the ball. 

“We definitely try to start from the back, break lines with numbers [and] get them to push their numbers up so we can get behind and advance,” Medina said.

The strategy paid off as BVH scored the first goal on a well executed possession over the ball. From the defense they passed the ball forward. Starting from their side of the field, outside back and junior Tatiana Colon (24) passes to Beaulieu, and then to forward and senior Jenica Stell (24) for the point.  

“We [defense] try to protect our goalie as much as possible and use our midfield to advance the ball. We hope to move the ball back from our defense, through the midfield, to have chances to score,” Colon said

In the second half, EHS gains a few opportunities to score but BVH’s  defense holds strong and BVH captain, goalkeeper and senior Aaliyah Cambell (1) makes some key stops. This play keeps the score with BVH leading 1-0. 

“Our keeper has been making a lot of good saves but she has been doing it for a long time for us. She has been keeping us in a lot of games by making a lot of saves,” Medina said. 

It was an intense game from beginning to end, with BVH holding a narrow lead. They continued to play firm and clamped down on chances for EHS to score. It was an impressive win for BVH as they hope to finish a good season from this point on.  

“This was a game where we gave it [our] everything and we couldn’t afford to slip up. It was a well deserved win for everyone on the team and we are happy we got it done today,” Medina said.

The team feels this is a win to build off of as they head towards the end of the 2022-23 season. From a less than stellar start with them losing a few games earlier in the year to an impressive win over a big rival, they have really improved their season. The girls’ varsity soccer team hopes to continue their momentum and continue the roll they are on.

“I feel very good about the team. We were off to a rocky start, but now we’re doing really well and winning more games,” Colon said. “We hope to keep it going.”