Girls spread the love in crushing victory over Inglewood

Rebecca AsoulinStaff WriterAfter the first three league games of the season Samo’s record currently stands at 3-0-1, with a 9-0 win against Inglewood, a 2-2 tie against Culver City and a 2-1 win against Beverley Hills. They are currently tied for first in Ocean League with Culver City. Their success can be attributed to what coach Jimmy Chapman calls a "multi-dimensional” approach.“The best teams have the ability to use different players to score and not just depend on one person. That is our biggest accomplishment,” Chapman said.The  immense talent of all of this years' offensive players can be clearly seen in the breakdown of goals for the Inglewood game. Captain Kristen Vasquez and freshman Cheyenne De Los Reyes scored one goal each, seniors Julia Glanz and Liz Lyons scored two goals each and sophomore Ella Warshauer scored an impressive three goals.This year’s team is dedicated not only to the sport they play, but also to each other.Chapman — who is on paternity leave after the birth of his son — still attends all the games the girls play, and his dedication has inspired his players.“Chapman is one of the most dedicated coaches I have ever had. He just had his baby and he is still comes to all our games. It is real motivation to play the best we can,” junior Cristina Battaglia said.The team members' closeness has  allowed them to step up and help their fellow teammates, especially when faced with injury. Seniors Stephanie Beccera and Claudia Martin were injured for the Inglewood game, but instead of letting these absences damage the team, other dynamic players like Battaglia and freshman Ella Warshauer simply stepped up their own game. They were instrumental in the team's overwhelming victory.The key, Chapman says, to continuing this success is to play every game “start to finish."“When we are successful its because we kept playing strong. We usually start of strong but once we realize we can control the game we lower our guard and we just go through the motions,” Chapman said.There was no loss of focus on anyone’s part in the first three league games, and the Lady Vikings held their composure until the final whistle sounded. No one can predict how this season will end, but the girls are off to a promising start.rasoulin@thesamohi.com