The Monarchs ended their season with a three game win streak.
By Sean Scully, Staff Writer
The Monarch’s made Glendale’s home turf their own in the final game of the season, shutting out the Vaqueros 4-0 and cementing a three game winning streak.
The Monarchs started the match off strong. The girls applied consistent offensive pressure and set up effortless scoring opportunities. Within ten minutes of the contest, Monarch Melanie Velasquez scored the first goal from a free kick at the 15-yard line.
“It felt great to open up our final game of the season with a goal,” said Velasquez with a smile. “I did it for the team.”
With the score 1-0, the Monarchs’ tireless ball movement exhausted the Vaqueros defense and kept them on their heels. At the 22-minute mark, Angie Diaz scored the second goal of the night with a clutch shot from the ten-yard line to the top right corner of the net.
Valley accumulated 26 shots on goal and three corner kicks in the first half, while Glendale failed to put a single shot on goal. As the match continued, the Monarchs’ continued to dominate up and down the pitch.
Assisted by Joanna Serrano at the 28 minute-mark, Melanie Velasquez further extended the Monarchs’ lead by sending a precise ground shot from the five-yard line to the corner of the net.
Instead of being comfortable with their 3-0 lead, Valley pushed the gas pedal even harder. At the 35-minute mark, a deflected corner kick set up Monarch Karen Hernandez for a straight shot from the 15-yard line.
With five minutes remaining in the first half, the Monarchs set up for a penalty kick after being fouled inside the penalty area. The shot went wide left, leaving Valley up 4-0.
“We feel very good being up at half but this was expected of us,” said Monarch Coach Melissa Fernandez during halftime. “I’m happy with the way we are moving the ball around and the energy exerting from our bench. But I also want to get the freshman more adapted to our style of play so they’ll see some action in the second half.”
Valley continued to assert their dominance at the opening of the second half by leaving their starters in their strongest positions and putting pressure on Glendale’s defense.
“Keep moving the ball,” shouted Monarch Assistant Coach Stacey Rodwell from the sidelines. “Continue to make good decisions and the game will come to us.”
Eventually, underclassmen Lena Cardenaz, Juliana Serrano and Jackie Zuniga were substituted into the match, giving the audience a glimpse of the 2023 Monarch Women’s soccer starting lineup. As the game progressed, Glendale became increasingly lethargic, lacking competitive energy and overworked from the consistent defensive battle.
At the 75-minute mark, Valley continued to put shots on goal and kept Glendale in a defensive position. In the final half, Valley acquired 21 shots on goals, bringing the total to 47 for the entire game — while Glendale struggled for two. At the 90-minute mark, the final whistle blew and the Monarchs’ 2022 season came to an end.
“The second half was about giving the team a chance to finish off their final game with something special,” said Rodwell in a post-game interview. “We’ve had three back to back wins now so it’s great to end the season like this and get a jump start on our team rebuild for next year.”