On Dec. 12, the Gabrielino varsity girls’ soccer team played against Marshall High School. The game ultimately ended in a 0-0 draw, the Eagles’ first tie of the season. Despite the draw, the team played well and looked to continue improving throughout the season.
“The team did really well, especially compared to past games with Marshall. We defended them pretty well, and hopefully we can win the next game against them,” said senior Anabel Villanueva, varsity midfielder.
Villanueva and senior Mia Seto co-captain the varsity team. Seto and senior Lauren Lam hold down the team’s defense.
“Being a center back is a lot of pressure, but we can see the whole field and help the team,” described Seto.
Although the team wasn’t able to get the ball in the back of the net, the midfield created many scoring opportunities. Compared to previous years, junior Julina Mireles believed the team has improved significantly and become stronger as a whole.
“We put up a really good fight [against Marshall]. Our communication and passing have been really good,” described Mireles, a midfielder.
Prior to their most recent game against Marshall, on Dec. 10, the Eagles played Arroyo High School in their first league game of the year. The team dominated, winning the game 6-1. Mireles and sophomore Sydney Tran each scored a goal. Junior Ally Cheng and senior Olivia Simpson-Castaneda also each scored 2 goals.
“Being able to celebrate those goals with your team is one of the best parts; you know your hard work is paying off,” stated Simpson-Castaneda.
Looking to the future, the team wants to continue to improve.
“We can definitely work on finishing offensively,” stated Mireles. Despite several opportunities, the team wasn’t able to score what would’ve been a winning goal against Marshall.
For many of the seniors, their eyes are also fixed on a league championship.
“I’m hoping we can be league champs. That would mean winning the rest of our games or at least getting the most points. Right now, we’re neck and neck with Marshall,” explained Villanueva. The last time the team won the league championship was in 2021.
For now, the team wants to continue their undefeated streak in the league and, hopefully, continue to win.
“We’re definitely capable of winning the league; we just need to make sure we take each game step by step and improve upon our mistakes,” Simpson-Castaneda added.
After winning 5-3 against South El Monte High School on Dec. 17, the Eagles will take on El Monte High School on Dec. 19. They hope to end their losing streak against El Monte after losing 4-0 on Dec. 19, 2023, and 1-0 on Jan. 22. The team is optimistic for the upcoming season and ready to do what it takes to claim the title of league champions.
