Kaleia Coughlin ’26 dribbles the ball down the line, evading Mcneil defenders and finding an opportunity to cross it into the middle. Westwood was successful in utilizing the sideline to make plays.
Sam Crider ’27 takes her space dribbling to draw in Mcneil forwards and find an open Westwood player to play to. Holding possession through methods such as this was integral in Westwood’s success.
Kate Cooper ’24 steps to defend a Mcneil midfielder, keeping her from the sideline and forcing her into the middle where multiple Westwood defenders await. This defensive tactic allowed Westwood to shut down Mcneil’s attacks quickly and efficiently.
On Friday, Jan. 26, varsity girls soccer faced off against the Vista Ridge Rangers at the Warrior Bowl, winning the match 2-0. Their important early-season win was achieved by maintaining possession along with setting up multiple offensive attacks, overwhelming the Rangers. The Warriors’ successful gameplay allowed both Kaleia Coughlin ‘26 and Kylie Denton ‘25 to secure a goal.
“This was a solid performance from our team,” Kate Wyrick ‘25 said. “We have yet to have a full healthy roster this season which has caused many people to step up and fill positions. Despite this, we have gotten way more confident in our playing.”
Launching themselves into the match with a first-minute goal, the Warriors quickly took the Rangers by storm. Through a series of passes, Westwood managed to send a low cross into the box that Coughlin managed to tap into goal, earning them their first goal of the half. Even after scoring, Westwood continued to play with energy and aggression connecting through fast and efficient passes, and allowing multiple plays to be set up on the offensive end.
Their offensive-heavy style of gameplay eventually led to a through-ball that Coughlin carried down the line. Once at the end of Vista Ridge’s half, she played a low cross into the box, where Denton was waiting to shoot it easily right into the center of the net. After earning their second goal of the half, they set up numerous attacks in the Rangers half. Although these attacks were efficiently set up, none of them managed to find the back of the net, keeping the score promptly at 2-0 to end the half.
“It felt really good to score on them first,” Coughlin said. “It helped us start the game with momentum. [Vista Ridge] had also been previously talking trash about us so this goal was especially satisfying.”
Switching up the pace, the second half of the match started slower with the Warriors holding possession primarily in the middle of the field, and setting up as many attacks. They continued to be successful defensively, as they were quick to shut down the majority of Vista Ridge’s potential offensive threats and it was clear that the Warriors were continuing to dominate the gameplay despite their few attacks at goal. With their relentless display of intensity and aggression, combined with their determination to fight for every ball and control the middle, Westwood kept the score 2-0 to win the game.
“This was definitely one of the greatest games we have played possession-wise,” Bailey Shuford ‘25 said. “Once we got into our groove we were able to string passes around them with ease. We should have had more goals but that is just something we are working on as a team.”
