With a veteran roster of 13 returners, girls’ varsity soccer has already found their stride with their second win of the season against Diamond Bar High School in Wildcat Stadium on Dec. 10.
The Wildcats approached the game with purpose, with players making smart runs and moving the ball fluidly to break down the Brahma’s defense, resulting in a 3-2 score at the final whistle.
The offensive spark came from the trio of four-year varsity striker Peyton Dunbar (‘25); defensive midfielder Kaila Dewit (‘27); and California Baptist University (CBU) commit Lizzie Choi (‘26) in the attacking midfielder position.
In the 21st minute of the first half, Dewit connected with the back of the net from a Dunbar assist, giving the Wildcats a 1-0 lead.
Early in the second half, Dunbar, a consistent catalyst for the attack, scored a goal from an assist by Choi. Dunbar then took advantage of a misplay by her opponent, scoring once more.
Choi, leading from the middle, said of the close match against Diamond Bar: “The game could have gone either way, but we wanted it more, and we were able to capitalize.”
From the back of the field, center defenders Holly Macedo (‘25) and Alexa Harris (‘28) — both named Players of the Game against Fullerton High School on Dec. 5 — routinely forced their opponents out of the eighteen-yard box, helping the Wildcats maintain the lead.
Veteran goalkeeper Gen Dauphin (‘26), also a CBU commit, saved a penalty kick — a result of a foul inside BOHS’s defending eighteen-yard box — in the second half and dove mid-air, swatting the ball out.
Of her dynamic save, Dauphin said, “I was focused on reading which side she was going to shoot [on], and thankfully, I read it right.”
Heading into the girls’ first home match, the Wildcats were hoping to build momentum before the start of North Hills League competition on Jan. 4.
Because of the larger roster of 30 girls and 17 first-time varsity athletes, the coaching staff was challenged with fostering team synergy and cohesion.
Head coach Mike Knaus, in his 35th year of leading the girls’ soccer program, acknowledged, “We have a lot of talent on this team, [but] it’s a lot of girls.”
The unity began to take shape during the team’s annual varsity trip to Newport Beach on Dec. 7 and 8. As the players bonded off the field with Christmas caroling, team challenges, and exploring Balboa Island, they also aligned their goals for the season.
“The varsity trip brought the team together,” assistant coach Paul Rivera said. “Everyone started to [get] on the same page, they have the same goals in mind.”
The newfound camaraderie was evident from the opening whistle in the Dec. 10 game against Diamond Bar.
“We are progressing well, building team chemistry, and getting to know our tendencies while playing,” Dauphin said.
Dunbar agreed. “We’re definitely growing as a group [and] honestly, the environment has been a lot better,” she said.
Returning varsity players have created that positive atmosphere, pushing the team to a higher level of play. Dunbar, Choi, Macedo, Sam Gaytan (‘25), Jaslene Lastra (‘25), and Bell Jansen (‘26), lead by example and will be key contributors this season.
Rivera expects that by the time league play begins in January, varsity will be “firing on all cylinders.”
