“We are Mustangs!”
This cheer was shouted as the Yorba Linda High School women’s soccer team prepared to face off against Sonora High School for the second time in a league game. The match-up, held at the Nathan Shapell Memorial Stadium, took place on January 20. This was an essential game for the Mustangs as they were 6-2-6 while Sonora High School was 11-5-4 overall.
The stands, filled with friends and family, rallied for the players as they took their positions. The starting players include the three captains: Anabella Silvestri, Mac Slemmer, and Jesse Lee. Alongside the captains, the following players made their way onto the field: Kaiya Patel, Saige Block, Svea Hazlett, Rylan Krichmar, Natalia Wojtuszewski, Adaley Dossey, Ashley Chavez, and Nikki Dorsman. Despite the Mustangs facing a tough opponent, they continued to lock down the defense and attack on offense.
In the first half, Anabella Silvestri delivered a spectacular goal thanks to an assist by Saige Block. This put Yorba Linda in the lead, 1-0, for the rest of the game. During the rest of the first half, the Mustangs used that momentum to take more goal attempts. The team demonstrated cooperation and teamwork, and Saige Block managed to make an impressive goal; unfortunately, she was called offside, and the goal did not count. In the middle of the game, Adaley Dossey was subbed off due to an injury inflicted by the other team and was replaced by Chloe Fox. After 40 minutes of hard work from both teams, it was halftime.
During the 10-minute halftime, the Mustangs regrouped in the locker room to discuss new strategies and recap the first half. Jesselyn Lee (12) noted, “We were playing well, we were playing controlled, so we had to keep that momentum going into the second half and do it better.”
As the timer ended, the Mustangs entered the field feeling refreshed and ready to win. For the second half, minimal goals and direct attempts to shoot were made by either team, as both defense and offense were constantly stopping the ball.
Both teams were very physical and aggressive with each other, which made for a competitive game. Thanks to the efforts of the girls and the help of the varsity coaches, Chip Fuller, Griffin Fuller, Leah Fuller, and Marc Radlinski, the Mustangs kept their 1-0 lead and came out victorious. To secure this win, Ananbella Silvestri (11) explained, “We had to stay calm and play how we know how to play: pass the ball around and just play smart.”
As of now, the YLHS women’s soccer team has three students who have committed to a college to further their education and athletic career. One of the captains, Anabella Silvestri (JR), committed to Texas A&M University to play D1 soccer. Another captain, Jesse Lee (SR), will be attending Claremont McKenna College to continue her soccer journey.
Additionally, Rebecca Huerth (SR) is committed to Cornell College in Iowa. With another win under their belt, the team is looking ahead to finish first in their league and go as far as they can in CIF. Mac Slemmer (12) said, “We did a good job of connecting with each other and working more as a team. It was a lot of selflessness out there, and that’s definitely going to help us with the next games.”
The women’s soccer team’s next home match will be a non-league game on Wednesday, January 28, at 5:15 against Troy High School.
