WILLITS >> Considering all the obstacles the Middletown High School girls’ soccer team has had to overcome this season, a 9-0 victory over the host Willits Wolverines on Saturday morning provided the ideal warmup for the North Coast Section Division III playoffs.
Middletown, a winner of eight straight undisputed league titles, closed out its 2015 North Central League I campaign with hat tricks from highly decorated seniors Kaleigh Alves and Ashlyn Welton, both in their final tour of duty for the Mustangs. Middletown carries a 13-1 league mark and 15-3 overall record into the sectional playoffs and will host Technology of Rohnert Park in the quarterfinal round on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
With several Mustangs nursing injuries, the league finale at Willits gave Middletown head coach Amy Emerson the perfect opportunity to rest her more experienced players, veterans she hopes will lead the team to a Division III title, which the Mustangs won in 2012 when Alves and Welton were just freshmen.
Against Willits, the Mustangs rested starters Caitlin Lemoine and Rosie Emerson. Another starter, Madison Ketchum, assisted on Middletown’s first goal before also leaving the game.
Taking their place and recording significant minutes were first-year players – both freshmen and older girls playing the sport for the first time. They didn’t disappoint, according to Emerson.
“Our rookie team just handled business,” she said.
A couple of those first-year players were freshman Julisa Garcia and senior Ana Candelario.
“She just has great sense of the field and knows what is happening around her at all times,” Emerson said of Garcia, who scored one of Middletown’s four second-half goals.
Candelario scored a goal in the first half as the Mustangs established a 5-0 lead and she assisted on another in the second half.
“She is so methodical out there,” Emerson said. “She does a great job.”
Alves scored all three of her goals in the first half while Welton had two of her three in the second half. Normally a defender for the Mustangs at sweeper, Welton is capable of playing pretty much any position, according to Emerson.
“I can put her anywhere on the field and she shines,” Emerson said. “We’ve used her the most on defense, at sweeper, and it’s kind of a shame we haven’t been able to use her more on offense because she’s a really good scorer.”
With a week between games, the Mustangs should be at full strength for Technology in the playoff opener. Both teams received first-round byes into the quarterfinal round.
“We are geared up and ready for the playoffs and geared up and ready for next year,” Emerson said.
