Rhinos end regular soccer season strong with dominating win against Marysville

Despite not being able to win the Pioneer Valley League title, the Twelve Bridges High girls' soccer team finished its first varsity regular season on a high note with a 7-0 victory over the Marysville Indians last Thursday. The Rhinos came into the contest after losing 2-0 to Colfax High on Jan. 31, which ended their hopes of finishing first in league competition. That didn't stop them from coming out with firepower against the Indians as junior Stella Grace Tamayo scored in the eighth minute after a beautiful pass by Kelsey Bartlett. "Stella has been amazing for us since day one. She brings so much for us," Rhinos coach Victor Quiroz said. "A winning mentality, energy, skills, speed, attitude, leadership on and off the field but most importantly, the different positions that she can play makes me very happy to have her." Following the first goal, the Rhinos struggled for about 20 minutes and weren't able to create a lot of opportunities until the last few minutes of the first half. "We have had that problem recently on grass fields most of the season," Quiroz said. "We need to be more patient, communicate more and the more possession, the better to get the feel of the field and adjust to the different bounces and rolls that you get in grass rather than the turf that we practice every day." Twelve Bridges High got its second goal in the 33rd minute from sophomore Breena Ludlow before Tamayo scored her second in the 39th minute with a strike from well outside of the 18-yard box. Tamayo scored two more goals in the second half to finish with four in the match. "Our ball movement and communication was definitely helpful, especially because it allowed me to find open gaps and have the chance to shoot the ball," Tamayo said. "I believe that the team is really good and confident when it comes to moving the ball around and trying to switch the field. However, I think that we can always improve on our strengths to become more of a threat in the playoffs." Bartlett added on to her early assist with two goals in the second half in the 45th and the 66th minute. The Rhinos also did a solid job defensively as they only allowed three shots by Marysville High. "Every champion starts with defense and is something they take very seriously, starting with Kelsey in goal," Quiroz said. "Our back line also has played lights out when needed and has kept us in those hard games. They know each other very well and understand each other's roles." The Rhinos finished the regular season with 13 wins, five losses and two ties and second-place in the Pioneer Valley League. They will now await to see their seeding for the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs which start next week. "I feel very good going into the playoffs with this group," Quiroz said. "We still need to work a little bit more on the final quarter. We are looking for who can step up in that role. We have a great offense but most of them play wide or more coming from the back, so they are adjusting to play more like a nine."