Carson girls soccer rolls against Wooster

The Lady Senators soccer team was still feeling the effects of a virus that has been plaguing it since its visit to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, over a week ago and, with standout senior forwards Kayla Sanchez and Becca Kane on the bench, it was operating at roughly 75 percent.

Nevertheless, Carson peppered its Sierra League opponent, the Wooster Colts, with 24 shots along the way to notching a 9-0 victory Tuesday at Carson High School.

The win improved the Senators to 1-1 in league and 9-2 overall, while dropping the Colts to 0-4, 0-6.

"We played very well," said senior midfielder Amanda Osborne, who scored her third goal of the season when she took an Allie Collier feed and left-footed it in to give Carson a 3-0 lead in the 34th minute. Osborne later added an assist on a goal by Brandi Vega to make it 5-0 in the 43rd minute. "We had good passing and worked the ball around better than we have been. Half of our players are still sick from Puerto Vallarta."

Collier scored two goals and had one assist and sophomore Taylor Mussleman added a pair of goals for Carson, which also got a goal and two assists from sophomore Brenda Luquin and a pair of assists from sophomore forward Miriah Tompkins.

It was the kind of game for Carson that most teams could only dream about, as Wooster failed to even get off a single shot against Senators sophomore goalkeeper Jennifer Johnson, who had enough time and tranquility in front of the net to knit a sweater.

After junior Helena Berris took a cross from Tompkins to score from inside the penalty box for a 1-0 lead at the 1-minute mark, the Colts, behind the goalkeeping of Rose Shoen, held Carson scoreless for a stretch of 28 minutes, 27 seconds, when Collier took an Emily Field cross and put it home for a 2-0 lead.

Field added another goal in the 35th minute, fighting her way out of a scrum in front of the net and putting in a feed from Luquin for the 4-0 lead.

In spite of the lopsided score, Carson coach Randy Roser said it was the best Wooster team he's seen in years.

"That first minute through the (30th) minute was huge for them," Roser said. "They have the players, they just have to get them coordinated and they'll give some teams some trouble."

Osborne said she felt that the Senators still have a ways to go before they begin to peak.

"We did good for where our level is right now," Osborne said. "But it's the beginning of the season - we haven't reached our full potential yet."

Maybe not, but the Senators were nearly always a step ahead of the Colts, relying on pinpoint passing, an advantage in speed and lockdown defense.

"That's what we worked on (Monday against North Tahoe) -they (the Colts) couldn't get through our back four (defenders) tonight," Roser said. "(The Colts) pushed it up hard in the first half, but our defense held them off."

In the second half, it was the Senators offense that continuously kept the Colts off-balance.

Vega scored on Osborne's pass in the 43rd minute and Mussleman scored her first goal on Luqin's feed at the 50-minute mark for a 6-0 advantage. Luquin put home her unassisted goal in the 53rd minute and Collier added her second goal on a header off a cross from Vega for the 8-0 lead.

Mussleman guided a cross from Tompkins into the net to round out the scoring in the 58th minute.

"I like it," Roser said when asked how he felt his fast but young group is beginning to meld. "Even though they were under the weather, so to speak, the girls stepped up and played hard. I think we'll be tough once we get some momentum."

The Senators will take their act on the road next, when they visit Hug in another Sierra League match, beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday.

"Right now we'll get everyone looking at Hug, then everything starts Monday with Reno," said Roser, who added he'd have a better feel for where his team sits after it faces tough Damonte Ranch and North Valleys teams.

But at least for one night, Roser and the Senators knew where they were sitting: on top of the world.

CARSON JV GIRLS 8, WOOSTER O

The Carson junior varsity squad nearly had as impressive of a night as the varsity team, working over the Colts at Carson High School on Tuesday.

Janet Butler led the way with two goals for Carson and Kate Schulz added a goal and two assists in the win. Including Butler, seven Senators scored goals. Armida Paz Vargas had a goal and an assist, as did Shannon Ferguson and Eva Arraiz.

Nicole Updegrove and Katie McFarron also scored a goal each and Carol Montiel added an assist for the Senators.