With last year’s roster largely intact, the Los Altos High School varsity girls soccer team has high aspirations for this season as defending CCS champions. The 1–1 Eagles tallied their first win of the season last Thursday, December 8 with a 3–0 home shutout against the Aptos High School Mariners.

Within the first nine minutes, the team’s offensive production shined, starting with junior Sophia Kurisu dodging multiple defenders for a long goal. The Eagles kept up the pressure throughout the half, containing the majority of play to Aptos’ side of the field. An additional Los Altos score sent the game to halftime 2–0.

“We’re trying to figure out positioning and an attacking presence,” Sophia said. “I think we really found that this game.”

Despite the hot start, the Eagles struggled with communication in the late game. Lapses in defense allowed the Mariners to penetrate towards the goal box, but no scoring attempts translated to goals. Junior Katelyn Sacerdoti would ultimately put the game away with a late goal to give the Eagles their first win of the season.

Looking forward, the team acknowledged they’ll have to improve in-game coordination throughout the season. Head Coach Zanin Mahic stressed the importance of keeping offensive and defensive play in sync.

“It’s just making sure we’re all on the same page,” Mahic said. “If there’s gaps between the midfielders and the forwards, that’s how we get broken down. Communication really needs to happen from the bottom up.”

That isn’t to say the team doesn’t have the potential to reach new heights. Players span all four grade levels, many of whom have significant experience in club leagues. 

“When they’re on, they’re some of the deadliest high school players in the nation,” Mahic said. 

The Eagles aren’t strangers to early season growing pains, either. Mahic expects a three to four game transition period for the team to fully mesh together. With the roster’s talent, though, it can be frustrating to watch — Mahic said that in-game miscues can drive him “nuts”.

Right now, the focus remains in growing as a team, even with high expectations for the season. 

“We got a feel for each other, and a lot of players got minutes,” Sophia said. “We’re learning how to play as a team.”

“The goal isn’t to live in the past — you get lost in that euphoria. We’re moving onto the present, and taking it game by game,” Mahic said.