Girls’ soccer carries Ocean league momentum into cif

Steve Ko / Contributor

Georgia Rolph (’28) moves the ball downfield in a league game against Palisades High School

The Samo girls’ soccer team played their first league game against Torrance High School on Dec. 19, losing with a score of 0-2. After winter break, they resumed their season on Jan. 9 with a 15-0 league win against Inglewood High School. 

The following week they played a tight game against Palisades High School, continuing their win streak with an ending score of 1-0. Holding a score of 0-0 for the majority of the game, the Vikings were able to score within the last few minutes, breaking the tie and earning their victory. Team captain Audrey Howard (’26) reflected on why this victory was so important. 

“I think the two teams were very similar skill wise,” Howard said. “Our defense was doing really well, [...] so that played a really big role [in the win].”

They later played against Leuzinger High School. They held a consistent lead throughout the game, only being scored upon during a penalty shot, ending the game with a win of 5-1. 

With a successful season so far, striker Amelia Drozdz (’27) noted how the team can improve regarding upcoming games.

“Just playing until the very end, up until the last whistle, that’s still something that could get better, but we are definitely getting better at it,” Drozdz said. “And we have so many players on our roster, I feel like the playing time is not as well distributed as it could be.”

On Jan. 23, the Vikings held their senior night game against their rivals, Beverly Hills High School. The game was extremely intense with a tied score up until the last two minutes, when fullback Ashley Ballantine (’28) scored, leading the Vikings to win the close game. 

The Vikings played the Ocean League championship match against Culver City High School, securing their victory with a score of 2-1. This win propelled them to first place in the league, crowning them Ocean League champions and also marking an end to this stretch of league games. Now, the girls are now preparing to compete in the CIF playoffs. 

The team has ended this segment of their season with a league record of 7-1 and an overall record of 12-8-3.