Instead of returning to Northern Nevada from its trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, with smiles and a tan, the Carson Senators girls soccer team brought back with it a virus that has put the majority of its players sick on the bench.
Nevertheless, an undermanned group of Lady Senators got hot in the second half of its friendly with the North Tahoe Lakers and took a 5-1 nonleague win Monday at Carson High School.
Carson overcame some tough goalkeeping by North Tahoe's Kea Joliceur, who registered 15 saves out of the 20 shots she faced.
Sophomore forward Miriah Tompkins was one of several Carson players who entered the game only to have to come out sick.
In spite of that, Tompkins put the Senators on top 1-0 on an assist from Helaine Berris in the sixth minute.
Carson sophomore keeper Jennifer Johnson (three saves) stopped Michelle Zarick's shot in the mouth of the net, but North Tahoe's Sage Clarke stuck home the rebound to tie it 1-1 in the 15th minute.
Allie Collier responded a little more than a minute later to give the Senators a 2-1 lead going into halftime.
"The first half, we worked our last four (the defenders) and let our forwards and midfielders (loose)," said Carson coach Randy Roser. "In the first half Saturday we focused on our back defense and gave up two silly goals to South Tahoe (in a loss). In the second half (against North Tahoe), we had our midfielders and forwards connect to get in the (penalty box) and get solid shots."
Carson had 13 first-half shots, but was more selective - and deadly - in the second half.
Senior Becca Kane scored a pair of goals 70 seconds apart -the first was unassisted in the 55th minute - in the second half to give Carson a commanding 4-1 lead.
On her second goal, Kane took a pass from an ailing but still scrappy Kayla Sanchez and, after hesitating to give herself just the right angle, placed a shot past Joliceur.
The prettiest and guttiest goal of the night belonged to another sophomore, Berris.
After taking a feed from senior Kristin Rush, Berris took it to the net and right at Joliceur, who blocked her first effort as Berris fell to her back.
Looking like Sidney Crosby of the NHL - substituting her leg for a stick - Berris, still on her back, poked it in for the goal on her second attempt to round out the scoring for Carson.
"I have to give the girls credit," said Roser, who told his players to leave the field and go home to get well immediately after the game. "They were sick, but they still wanted to play and go out there. We had seven girls on the bench (including Brandi Vega). We had such young players in there, trying to slow it down."
Carson improved to 8-2 overall and is 0-1 in Sierra League play. The Senators will try and even their league record today at 7 p.m., when they host the Wooster Colts.
"We're still going to be short," Roser said.
Maybe. But if Monday was any indication, they'll still be tough.