HIGH KICKING CONTEST: Jaguar and Knight vie to control ballJonatan Muñoz, International School
Jaguar girls gain tough win over Cambridge, 1-0
From coaches' reports
A lone first half goal by Jaguar Sofia Sotelo brought the junior varsity girls championship to Co-operative yesterday as they won a closely contested match against a very persistent Cambridge team 1-0.
The two teams played more or less as they have all season, with tenacious defenses dominating play. The scoring opportunities seemed to become sparser as the game went on as both sides made adjustments to check the other's offense.
One example was how Cambridge was able to reduce the threat posed by Giovanna Varalta, Co-operative's second-highest scorer.
In the first half the small, but fleet and skillful Varalta, a sixth grader, ran loose up the right side of the field like a runaway horse on several occasions. In the second half a Cambridge defender, Lucia Candia, was given the task of keeping the ball away from Varalta, and did it very well.
Similarly, Cambridge's top scorer, Vitania Pulis, kept trying to break away with the ball, but couldn't get the necessary step on the Jaguar defenders.
Sotelo's goal about mid-way through the first half, came with dramatic suddeness, as she received a crossing pass in traffic, and knocked it past Cambridge goalie Lisa Delboy before anyone knew what had hit them.
Delboy handled all her other chances without incident, and didn't even have to touch the ball for most of the second half as the Knights battled to get the equalizing goal in the Jaguars end.
Besides Sotelo, Jaguar coach Robert Ollivier had special praise after the game for the play of midfielder Nicole Broesma, and for the leadership of team captain Brooke Hill.
Knights coach Carlos Eulert singled out the performances of Nadia Roco and Alejandra Abastoflor, as well as his team captain, Camila Johnson. Johnson does not play a fixed position, but is free to roam from one end of the field to the other playing both offense and defense. She handled both corner kicks and kicks from the defensive end.
All of the players cited by the two coaches are eighth graders who will presumably move up to the varsity teams at their schools next year. The high quality of both the boys and girls championship games bodes well for the quality of play in the league in coming years. The junior varsity program has only been in existence for two years, and this year was the first year of full operation involving all four schools.
The line-up for champion Jaguars, who did not lose all season, was Carla Aguilera, Audrey Saucedo, Nicole Broesma, Sofia Sotelo, Ana Paula Peredo, Brooke Hill, Carla Buchon, Macarena Valdes, Estefania Sauto, Luciana Adrianzola, Paula Querejazu, Lucia Landivar, Fernanda Villegas, Giovanna Varalta.
For the Lady Knights it was Lisa Delboy, Nadia Rocco, Lucia Candia, Camila Johnson, Alejandra Ortiz, Alejandra Abastoflor, Maira Lino, Adriana Rojas, Manuela Yañez, Natalia Johnson, Amaya Yañez, Vitania Pulis.
From coaches' reports
A lone first half goal by Jaguar Sofia Sotelo brought the junior varsity girls championship to Co-operative yesterday as they won a closely contested match against a very persistent Cambridge team 1-0.
The two teams played more or less as they have all season, with tenacious defenses dominating play. The scoring opportunities seemed to become sparser as the game went on as both sides made adjustments to check the other's offense.
One example was how Cambridge was able to reduce the threat posed by Giovanna Varalta, Co-operative's second-highest scorer.
In the first half the small, but fleet and skillful Varalta, a sixth grader, ran loose up the right side of the field like a runaway horse on several occasions. In the second half a Cambridge defender, Lucia Candia, was given the task of keeping the ball away from Varalta, and did it very well.
Similarly, Cambridge's top scorer, Vitania Pulis, kept trying to break away with the ball, but couldn't get the necessary step on the Jaguar defenders.
Sotelo's goal about mid-way through the first half, came with dramatic suddeness, as she received a crossing pass in traffic, and knocked it past Cambridge goalie Lisa Delboy before anyone knew what had hit them.
Delboy handled all her other chances without incident, and didn't even have to touch the ball for most of the second half as the Knights battled to get the equalizing goal in the Jaguars end.
Besides Sotelo, Jaguar coach Robert Ollivier had special praise after the game for the play of midfielder Nicole Broesma, and for the leadership of team captain Brooke Hill.
Knights coach Carlos Eulert singled out the performances of Nadia Roco and Alejandra Abastoflor, as well as his team captain, Camila Johnson. Johnson does not play a fixed position, but is free to roam from one end of the field to the other playing both offense and defense. She handled both corner kicks and kicks from the defensive end.
All of the players cited by the two coaches are eighth graders who will presumably move up to the varsity teams at their schools next year. The high quality of both the boys and girls championship games bodes well for the quality of play in the league in coming years. The junior varsity program has only been in existence for two years, and this year was the first year of full operation involving all four schools.
The line-up for champion Jaguars, who did not lose all season, was Carla Aguilera, Audrey Saucedo, Nicole Broesma, Sofia Sotelo, Ana Paula Peredo, Brooke Hill, Carla Buchon, Macarena Valdes, Estefania Sauto, Luciana Adrianzola, Paula Querejazu, Lucia Landivar, Fernanda Villegas, Giovanna Varalta.
For the Lady Knights it was Lisa Delboy, Nadia Rocco, Lucia Candia, Camila Johnson, Alejandra Ortiz, Alejandra Abastoflor, Maira Lino, Adriana Rojas, Manuela Yañez, Natalia Johnson, Amaya Yañez, Vitania Pulis.
PHOTO: Jaguar girls wear their championship medals.
Jonatan Muñoz, International School
