LOWER LAKE >> Senior Julia Mooney and junior Katlyn Minnis scored two goals apiece on Monday as the Upper Lake girls soccer team edged the Lower Lake Trojans 5-4 in the season opener for both clubs at Lower Lake High School.
It was the Upper Lake coaching debut of Daniella Santana and the Cougars (1-0) didn’t disappoint their new coach, grabbing a 2-0 lead in the first half. Lower Lake (0-1) did battle back to tie the game in the second half before Upper Lake pulled back in front to stay.
Nastasia Cullen also scored for the Cougars. Freshman Hailey Reams added two assists while Mooney, Minnis and Mallory Henry also had assists.
Standouts for the Cougars included Minnis and Mooney on offense, Anna Jordan on defense and Cheyanne Obedoza in the net where she recorded several saves. Reams’ passing and Cullen’s bursts up the field were other bright spots, according to Santana.
Lower Lake scoring was not reported.
Upper Lake returns to action Friday at home when it hosts Mendocino in a North Central League III game at 5:30 p.m. Lower Lake hosts McKinleyville on Friday in a non-league game at 5 p.m.
In other action Monday:
Boys soccer
RVC 9, Upper Lake 1
At Santa Rosa, the Upper Lake boys squad dropped a non-league decision to Rincon Valley Christian to open its 2017 schedule.
Benat Love scored in the second half for Upper Lake (0-1) with an assist from Josh Williams.
“We suited up 13 players today and we should have 16 or 17 by the end of the week,” Upper Lake second-year coach Kevin O’Brien said. “We have a lot of young players with experience and our freshmen add a lot.”
Upper Lake is also stepping down a league this year, moving from the NCL II to the NCL III, which should make the Cougars a more competitive club, according to O’Brien.
“There were a lot of positives to come out of today,” O’Brien said. “The final score wasn’t indicative of the way we played. We wanted to test ourselves against a good team.”
Upper Lake plays its first home game Friday against Credo at 5:30 p.m.
Volleyball
El Molino def. Lower Lake
At Lower Lake, the Lower Lake varsity volleyball team under the new direction of head coach Jen Emberson fell 25-10, 25-10, 25-10 to the El Molino Lions in non-league action.
“They’re young and it’s definitely a rebuilding year,” Emberson said of the Lower Lake squad. “We have four seniors and only three played last year.”
Emberson said the Trojans (0-1) were playing better by the end of the match.
“They were improving and going to where they needed to be,” she said.
Sophomore Shelby Sapeta led the Trojans with four assists and three blocks while Patti McCleery added a team-best three aces to go along with four service points. Elizabeth Ingalls led the team with three kills.
Lower Lake returns to action Thursday against Rincon Valley Christian in Santa Rosa beginning with the junior varsity match at 5 p.m.
El Molino beat Lower Lake’s JVs 25-18, 26-24. Lower Lake’s two setters, Kayla Doud and Jordan Rivera, played well in the match. Doud had six points as well as four aces and three kills. Rivera added three kills and two aces.
