The Battle Ground Tigers girls soccer team has taken it slow to start the year with just three games in the first three weeks of the season, but each has resulted in shutout wins.
On Tuesday, Sept. 15, Battle Ground beat Heritage 2-0 to propel the team to a 3-0 start to begin the season.
The Tigers were led by two second-half goals from junior Savannah Weinkauf. Tiger senior goalkeeper Claire Clark was only pressured into three saves in the 80-minute affair.
Battle Ground’s girls soccer team is still finding its footing early in the season, but the pieces are beginning to come together as the season progresses.
After viewing last season as a building year, the Tigers entered this season with additional new coaching staff and several freshmen joining a group of returning players. Through the opening three games, that combination has begun to show signs of developing into a cohesive team.
“Honestly with this new team, we knew last year was going to be a building year, and this year, I mean, everything's clicking pretty nicely and the girls are looking really good,” Battle Ground head coach Arthur Colunga said after his Tigers got off to a 3-0 start.
One area that continues to develop is the defensive unit.
Battle Ground lost several seniors from last season’s back line and is working freshmen into a group that also includes upperclassmen.
Colunga said the defensive unit’s biggest improvements will come through communication and learning when to challenge the ball and when to allow teammates time to recover.
“That's just going to come with a little more gelling on the back line,” Colunga said.
The Tigers also have experienced players helping lead the way. Junior winger Eloise Smith has emerged as a vocal presence while using her speed, vision and crossing ability to create opportunities.
“Eloise, she's been playing this sport for a very long time,” Colunga said. “She's got a big foot. I mean, she's a winger. She sees the pitch. She scans the pitch. She's very loud, very vocal, which is magnificent.”
Colunga said the biggest difference has been the team’s overall chemistry versus emerging individual success.
“It's clicking, like passes,” Colunga said. “They're starting to know each other's chemistry. They're starting to know what one teammate can do better than the other teammate.”
Battle Ground’s goal remains straightforward, Colunga explained: Take the season one game at a time, compete against every opponent and work toward a playoff berth.
“We're going game by game,” Colunga said. “We're thinking every team is the No. 1 team out there, and we play each game by game, and our goal is getting to the playoffs and going hopefully further than that.”
The Tigers now enter a busier stretch of their schedule as Battle Ground began the week with an away game at Kelso High School on Tuesday, Sept. 22. Results were unavailable at press time. Battle Ground next travels north to Toledo High School to hit the pitch at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 24, followed by a rivalry matchup with the Prairie Falcons at Prairie High School on Saturday, Sept. 26, at 2 p.m.
