On Wednesday, Dec. 20, the Coral Gables girls’ soccer team took on Hialeah-based charter school Mater Academy. Commencing at 3:30 P.M. on Gables’ own field, this contest served as the 17th game of the regular season.

Anticipation was accumulating prior to the beginning of the game due to the Cavaliers’ starting goalie, Jimena Sanchez, being absent. Standing in for her was Natalie Puntonet for the first half of the game and Isabella Rodriguez for the second. Both players regularly play other positions, but were successful in blocking and preventing goals throughout the game.

Both teams battled hard to maintain possession throughout the first half of the game. Although there were some opportunities presented for both teams to score, the game remained tied at 0-0 at halftime.

“We were making simple mistakes in the first half, like missing a few shots on goal. That’s why the game remained 0-0 for so long,” freshman Nina Montero said.

In the third quarter, the Cavaliers ended their streak of consecutive missed opportunities on goal attempts. A corner kick by sophomore Juliana Bonavita, accompanied by a header from senior Jade Mallea, allowed the Cavaliers to take the lead. Mallea also scored the second goal a few minutes later by receiving a pass from the midfield and getting around a defender.

In the fourth and final quarter, senior Amanda Rose Cabrera scored the last two goals of the game, with only a two minute difference between the scores.

“It takes us a while to find our groove sometimes. But when we do, we play really well. By the second half, we were moving the ball better and had more opportunities to score,” sophomore Juliana Bonavita said.

This 4-0 victory by the Coral Gables Cavaliers brings them one step closer to competing in the regional playoffs taking place in January of 2018. The regional playoffs host the top two school teams in each district to play each other in a series of championship games. Currently, the Lady Cavaliers soccer team has a record of 14-3, which hopefully will continue to improve and allow them to enter the playoffs. The regular season games will continue to be played until January 18. Be sure to come and support our Cavaliers!