LION TAMERS

By Brandon Petersen

The Westcliff women's soccer team closed out its opening week in style, rolling past Justice College 9-0 on Saturday night at Orange Coast College.

The Warriors (2-0) wasted no time, scoring six goals in the first half before adding three more after the break.

Jysabella Tolentino recorded a hat trick, Eva Alexandra Kristjansdottir netted two, and Amylette Lopez chipped in a brace as Westcliff's attack overwhelmed the Justice back line.

Isabella Bottero and Isabella Covarrubias also added goals, with Covarrubias converting a penalty in the 90th minute to seal the night.

Midfielder Stephanie Serrato was the creative spark throughout, finishing with four assists in what head coach Jack Gidney called a fantastic all-around performance.

"You know, with the Masters game being at the start and then the Dominguez game, we took the time to prioritize the training to work on the defensive shape. So, we haven't had a whole heap of the ball," Gidney said. "So, to get this game tonight was very helpful. One, to get more minutes in the legs across the roster of the whole week, which is so important… and then also just to see the moments and the patterns and the shifts under maybe a little less pressure than league is really good."

Gidney pointed to Bella Hicken's growth on the back line, Serrato's creativity in the midfield, and the group's overall sharpness as signs of progress.

"It's the best training session I could have ever put on," Gidney said. "It's a feel good. They've done great this week. Three games first week, straight out the gate. All different kinds of D2 school and nationally ranked school. And then this one where you want to avoid complacency and you still want to get back on the ball again. Really difficult, but they managed it absolutely wonderfully. And obviously it's a big win and loads of goals. So, everyone's feeling good this week."

Westcliff outshot Justice 37-0, with 21 shots on goal, and held an 8-0 advantage in corner kicks.

With three matches in the books, the Warriors leave the opening week sharper, deeper, and confident as they turn their focus to a tough road trip to Oregon next week.