Elyse Toal (’16) dribbles through Westminster’s defensive line. Photo by Julia Pacisby Julia Pacis, Staff Writer
The Fountain Valley Barons held Westminster scoreless and triumphed over the Lions in a home game honoring the team’s seniors.
Before the game, Varsity Head Coach Allison Renth was optimistic that the Barons would be able to win if the girls could be intense and stay focused. The team had won their previous game against Westminster 4-0.
“I think we’ll come out on top if the girls bring it,” said Renth.
In the first half, the Barons played great defense, even though they were left without one of their strongest defensive players Cora Barras (’16). However, the team was playing slow and was lagging on offense. Westminster’s lack of fundamentals and Fountain Valley’s ability to recover on defense allowed them to stay in the game. The half ended with a tied score of 0-0.
After halftime, the Barons began to pick up the intensity, but they could not score a goal, which prompted Renth to call a timeout. Fountain Valley came out stronger after the timeout, and Elyse Toal (’16) scored two consecutive goals to put the Barons up 2-0. This frustrated the Lions, and the referee began to penalize them for their fouls, which resulted in short corners for the Barons. The game ended with a score of 2-0 favoring the Barons.
When the game ended, parents of senior players Anelysse Waters, Jacelyn Michael, Heaven Bui, Cora Barras and Elyse Toal lined up to give their daughters flowers. Associated Student Body (ASB) also gave the senior players gifts to honor them.
“The game being ‘Senior Game’ really made me realize, as well as most of the seniors, that…this is our last home game that we’ll most likely play, and it really made me sad, but also made me want to play my best and have a good game with my teammates,” said Toal.
The younger players on the team also felt bittersweet about senior night.
“…I was pretty bummed out at the end because a lot of my close friends are seniors, so it’s…sad to see them graduate, but it was good to have a win on their last home game,” said Sophia Rivera (’17).
Fountain Valley varsity field hockey is 2-7 in regular season.
