On March 7th, the girls’ varsity soccer team defeated cross town rival Rocklin at Rocklin High School with a score of 1-0. Rocklin had beat Whitney for the past 5 years.

“The seniors were really wanting to beat Rocklin cause it was their last year to play them. I wanted to beat them too,” junior Jodi Sassenrath said.

Winning the game broke the Wildcats’ losing streak against the Thunder and held their undefeated record for the season.

The bitter cold night under the stadium lights began with a very slow start. Ponytails were swishing back and forth, up and down the field repeatedly. Few shots were taken, and all were saved. A couple breakaways had the crowd screaming for a goal, but the ball never made it in. Aliyah Utush gained control over the ball numerous times; the Whitney side was cheering for her all night long, fueling her up with words of encouragement.

The uneventful first half came to a close and the teams prepared for the second. Both teams were expressing their desire to at least score. They moved more rapidly; more breakaways and shots were taken. Molly McConnell saved several goals, keeping the score tied 0-0.

The crowd and the teams were getting restless, until finally, with eight minutes left, Tara Armstrong scored a header goal. She beamed with relief and her team congratulated her with hugs and yells.

The game seemed to relax a bit; the Wildcats managed to hold the score 1-0 until the very end, and celebrated with jumping and victory screams.

“It was an exciting day in Wildcat history,” Sassenrath said.

Next up, the undefeated varsity girls take on Roseville at home on March 11th at 3:30 PM.

by JENICA DODGE