Just 50 seconds into the game, the JV women’s soccer team masterfully weaved their way to the opponent’s corner and secured their first goal of a victorious night, foreshadowing their eventual 4-1 win against the Vista Ridge Rangers on Friday, Jan. 26 at the Warrior Bowl.

Right from the start, the Warriors established solid possession of the ball, skillfully inching towards the Rangers’ goal with swift passing up the field, where Center Forward Payton Vopat ‘26 awaited to deftly stream the ball into the goal. Establishing confidence in the team from the very beginning, this goal was only the first in a series of a fast-paced onslaught against the Rangers in which the Warriors’ effective teamwork amongst both their defense and offense was what ultimately led to their victory.

Keeping the ball steady in the opponent’s half, another Warrior goal was eluded only due to a skillful defensive maneuver by the Rangers’ goalie. However, a series of aggressive back-and-forths often ending with Vista Ridge repeatedly leading the ball out of bounds gave way to three back-to-back corner kicks for Westwood. Despite good efforts from Midfielder Jaelynn Solis ‘27, the Rangers’ solid defense prevented additional goals for the Warriors.

“Some things we need to work on [in general] are, I think, corner kicks,” Lillyana Wells ‘27 said. “[That means] getting to the ball first, hitting it, and getting a good touch on the ball when it’s [right] where the goal is.”

A pause in what’s shaped to be an eventful and fast-paced first half, the play stalled as both teams ramped up their respective defenses, resulting in the ball moving from one end of the field to the other with no one team gaining the upper hand and being able to drive the ball closer to the opponent’s goal. Finally, after a rapid succession of throw-ins by both teams, Westwood was able to nimbly drive the ball up the field, shooting it straight into the net to secure their second goal of the night.

Assessing their current defensive stance, the Vista Ridge Rangers shifted to a more offensive play, testing the Warriors’ defense. Holding up her own against the aggressive Rangers, Defender Mackenzie Zeschuk ‘25 almost single-handedly drove the ball out of Westwood’s half, leading it to mid-field where only minutes later, Solis would deliver a swift third goal, the ball soaring across the field deep into the Rangers’ net.

After what ended up being an action-packed first half, both the Warriors and Rangers maintained steady defense throughout the second half, not allowing the opponent team any advantage whatsoever. Although they were up by three, the Warriors still played hard, adeptly avoiding the Rangers’ crafty maneuvers as they pushed aggressively to score their first goal of the night.

“I think we played really hard [tonight] even though we were up by three goals,” Bri Allid ‘27 said. “We still played our best, and of course, there are always things we can do better at, but overall I think we did really well [overall].”

With only five minutes left on the clock, Westwood breaks the stalling succession of back and forths amongst the teams in an expertly played mix of teamwork and skill, with their respective defense blocking their opponent counterparts to allow Warrior offense to score their final goal. However, the Rangers quickly followed with their own goal with only 2 minutes left in the game, the ball soaring past Westwood’s diving goalie, resulting in a final score of 4-1.

With only three games of the season under their belt, the team has been exploring new dynamics amongst themselves, with especially the new freshmen players working to adapt to the new experience.

“[Westwood Soccer] is absolutely amazing, it’s like a family [with the] big sis and little sis, and I love it,” Allid said. “Being on the Westwood soccer team- it connects people and [builds relationships] with your friends and teammates.”

The JV women’s soccer team will return to take on the McNeil Mavericks at the Warrior Bowl on Tuesday, Jan. 30.