The Hornets (19-3) came out fierce against the Vikings (3-12) in round one of the Battle at the Beach Tournament. What started as a cloudy day ended with the sun shining on the Hornets as they overshadowed their opponents, defeating them 20-6.
“We came in, knew what we had to do as a team, and dominated them,” said Hornet utility player Neida Torres. Everyone came fierce and ready to score.
Kicking off with a fast pace, the Hornets advanced quickly in the first quarter leading 7 to 0. Goalkeeper Alexis Storman easily passed across the field and assisted members like Julissa Velasques and Emily Jack to score.
Diablo Valley was unable to breakthrough. “We really prepared ourselves with last week’s practice. We came in focused and ready to win,” said Hornet player attacker Maggie Moreno.
Heading into the second quarter, Diablo Valley attempted a comeback. Scoring two goals, they were still unable to match the Hornets, who scored six more points keeping them in the lead 13-2. Proving that no matter the field; home, away or neutral- the Hornets come with determination.
“They’re very smart girls. We have our pregame meetings, going over situations and talking about our warmups. Sometimes we warm up individually and other times the girls take the initiative to get themselves motivated and think about what they need to do as an individual. That’s our routine,” Coach Martinez said.
The third quarter proved a challenge. After constant strategy and offense, Diablo Valley utilized their ability to stunt the Hornets and score two more goals.
The Hornets began to look a little tired from Diablo Valley’s consistent attempts and baits, Diablo Valley took advantage, scoring two more goals making it 17-4
The final quarter wasn’t about scoring but continuing to hold the solid defensive front they started with. Keeping steady and tough, the Hornets made their last three goals and defeated Diablo Valley 20-6.
As the season winds down, the Hornets are happy to return to the playoffs. “This is the precursor, and this determines the seeding for them. With this tournament ending we will hopefully be the two seed. That’s where we want to be,” states Head coach Gabriel Martinez.
With the Battle at the Beach Tournament coming to an end, the Hornets next steps are the San Diego and Northern California playoffs. But, in the words of a hopeful Maggie Moreno, “This is just practice. We’ll see everyone at state.”
