Playing the season in a lower division for the first time, the Carlmont girls varsity soccer team continued their 11-game winning streak with a dominant 13-0 victory over the El Camino Colts.
The Scots were able to keep the momentum they have built over the past few months, defeating their Peninsula Athletic League (PAL) rivals with a stunning offensive performance on Feb. 3.
“Once we got the ball rolling on the offensive side, we began to really play,” said Jillian Quan, Carlmont’s head coach. “We then scored three goals in roughly three and a half minutes.”
Carlmont struggled getting their offense started in beginning of the first half, but were able to quickly make adjustments.
“It’s been our pattern the last few games, and we have started slower than I would like,” Quan said. “Once we got some goals in and started moving the ball around more, we definitely picked it up in the second half.”
The Scots’ adjustment to a new division this year has also been a challenge.
“With the whole Central Coast Section (CCS) lawsuit last year, the league was forced to create standings, and our record was just not that good,” Quan said. “They ended up moving the bottom two teams down from the Bay League to the Ocean League.”
Competing in the Ocean League has been extremely exciting for many of the Scots.
“It has been a huge game changer for us, and we have been dominating every single game, unlike previous seasons which have been more challenging,” said Maya Blodgett, a Carlmont senior forward who scored three goals. “It has affected our whole season, but if has definitely been fun.”
However, the Scots are careful not to let their guard down despite the easier competition.
“We are trying not to create bad habits in this new division, so that when we move back up to where we belong, we can compete with the other teams,” said Sanjana Hazari, a Carlmont sophomore midfielder.
The Scots ended the first half with a strong 5-0 lead. Then, urged on by the crowd’s roar, Carlmont scored an additional eight goals and were able to maintain a shutout. By the end of the match, two additional Scots, seniors Kathryn Kelly and Calista Shohet, also scored hat tricks.
This match was the last home game of the regular season for the senior Scots, a reality starting to set in for many of the younger players.
“I think at the beginning of next season, this will definitely affect us, and we will just feel their absence,” Hazari said. “Once the season gets going though, we’ll adjust and play normally.”
Looking towards the rest of this season, the Scots are confident that they can reach the high standards they set for themselves at the beginning of the year.
“One of the major team goals for this season is to not only win league, but make it to and win CCS as well, which I think we can do for sure,” Quan said.
