Suhani Gupta

Co-captain and forward Kylie Anderson (12) keeps the ball away from an Ace Charter defender. “Even though it may have not been the most challenging opponent, it was a good way for us to get some touches on the ball and get a little bit of confidence that we have a solid team that can go out there and win some games,” Kylie said.

Varsity girls soccer defeated Ace Charter 11-0 in the first game of their season on Tuesday.

Forward Aanya Sharma (10) scored within the first minute of the game. After ten minutes of back and forth exchanges, the Cheetahs tossed in a ball from a throw-in, but midfielder Kaitlyn Nelson (10) intercepted the ball, passing to co-captain and forward Claire Anderson (12). Yards ahead of the Cheetah defenders, Claire kicked the ball to co-captain and forward Kylie Anderson (12), and she scored another goal.

“We’re still working on building the chemistry, but it went as well as I could have hoped for our first game of the season,” Kylie said. “Even though it may have not been the most challenging opponent, it was a good way for us to get out there, get some touches on the ball, get a little bit of confidence that we have a solid team that can go out there and win some games.”

Although the referee made an offsides call against Harker, the Eagles maintained momentum, with Claire soon scoring another goal and solidifying their lead at 5-0. After a brief scuffle with a Cheetah defender, forward Emma Wang (9) maneuvered around and outran her opponents until she had a clear shot to the goal and brought the score to 6-0. Goalkeeper Gia Emelie (12) ended the first half by saving the ball inside the 18-yard box and punting it across the field.

Jeffery Blue, father of midfielder MacEnzie Blue (11), believed that the girls performed well for their first game, which served as an indicator for their performance in future games.

“A lot of them know each other, and the young kids really mixed in really well,” Blue said. “They control the ball. They started getting confident with the ball and knowing where they are in the field. We’ll have to see when they start playing tougher teams. The decision making speed of the game is going to get a lot faster.”

Due to the Eagles’ dominating the first half, many newer players got the chance to play in the second half.

“As a team, we were showcasing everybody’s individual skills,” Kaitlyn said. “People that would normally be on the bench were playing half of the time at least.”

The Eagles increased their gap well into the second half with Claire’s high shot into the goal. Kylie consecutively scored the next two goals, followed by a goal from midfielder Eva Cheng (11), making the score 11-0. For the rest of the game, Harker maintained the lead and stayed on the offensive with many shot attempts. Defender Sara Glusman (12) attempted to score another goal with a free kick after the referee called a handball on Ace Charter, but a Cheetah defender blocked the ball. Thus, the game ended at 11-0.

Because of the score gap, the Eagles enjoyed their first game together. Aanya emphasized the importance of easy wins to help the team maintain good chemistry on the field.

“Playing a game where the other team didn’t match competitively allowed us to bring each other up and cheer for everyone when they were making their goals,” Aanya said. “It doesn’t happen often — 11-0.”

This game was the first for new head coach Brandon Pena. He worked on technical training with the team during practices and noted the clear results in the team’s offensive performance.

“We just take it day by day, game by game and keep building, improving as much as we can, enjoying the game, having fun and competing,” Coach Pena said. “That’s what we look for. Seeing the girls connecting really well and happy when they score, that’s what I enjoy the most.”

The team holds a 1-1-0 record and will play at Pacific Collegiate School on Saturday.