Posters and balloons lined the fences as the bright stadium lights beamed down on field hockey, Friday. With an explosive start and a sentimental atmosphere, the Wolverines scored a 5-0 victory over Vista on Senior Night, extending their winning streak to five. The girls used offensive corners to their advantage, and forward Claire Eidson (12) was a key player to their success, scoring two of the five goals during the game.
Westview had won against Vista earlier in the season, so defender Kiki Lund (12) said she felt confident in their odds.
“We all felt pretty confident, and it was a very light-hearted game because it was Senior Night,” Lund said. “We had played them before, so we anticipated that it would be easier since it was a home game.”
Attacking midfielder Karen Padilla (12) said the team started off strong and scored most of their goals in the beginning of the game.
“We started scoring immediately,” Padilla said. “The first quarter was definitely the most important because it set a really good positive feeling into the game, and throughout the game everyone kept up that positive attitude and played together collectively.”
According to Padilla, Westview’s good communication helped combat Vista’s defensive weaknesses, allowing them to keep Vista from scoring.
“Vista was a very aggressive team and they played really scrappy for the ball,” Padilla said. “So, we had to work harder, and our team’s communication and connectedness was why we ended up winning. Our defense is really strong because we have strong communication.”
Lund said Vista had heavy hitters, but Westview’s defense excelled at keeping the ball on the offensive side.
“Our defense did really well,” Lund said. “Everyone did a very good job at being first to the ball and having their sticks down when Vista was taking their hits — their hits were very strong. Regardless, [we] kept the ball on Vista’s half most of the game, and even when it went to our half, our goalie only had to touch the ball once or twice.”
Padilla said that in addition to a cohesive defense, the Wolverines adapted quickly to Vista’s defense, using offensive corners to score goals.
“For our attack, everyone is a selfless player, and everyone makes opportunities for other people to contribute to the game,” Padilla said. “Because of the offensive corners, most of the goals were coming from off the corners. We were passing the ball really well and using those opportunities to make good shots and stay open for the ball.”
Even though Lund is a defender, she played forward because the team wanted seniors to have the chance to score a goal.
“I played forward for three-fourths of the game because they wanted me to score,” Lund said. “[Our] offense did really good, and they helped me a lot when I played forward for the first time, and they were really trying their best to give me that goal. We had a total of nineteen corners during the game, and I was the person that got to take the shot for five or six of them, so that was pretty big for me because I am usually way away from the corner, so that was really fun.”
Lund and Padilla said they felt emotional knowing that this was their last season in high school. Padilla mentioned that the celebration prior to the event was heartfelt, making Senior Night even more significant for her.
“It was really emotional, especially after the ceremony,” Padilla said. “Seeing everyone play on the field and working together with the seniors for the last time was really nice. Before the game, we celebrated in the locker room. We were blasting music and reading out notes for each other, and they decorated the whole place with balloons and posters, and I think that made the senior night a lot more impactful because we all celebrated together.”
