UPPER LAKE — If you think the Upper Lake Cougars are no longer a threat now that the most prolific scorer in the school’s history, Karlee Zimmerschied, has graduated, think again.
So says Upper Lake High School girls soccer head coach Daniella Santana after watching the Cougars shut out the Lower Lake Trojans 6-0 in the season opener for both teams Wednesday evening during first-round action in the fourth annual Tyler Duncan Memorial tournament at Upper Lake High School.
Sophomore Ashlyn Rhodes scored twice and assisted on three other goals as the Cougars dominated the Trojans, who had trouble getting the ball across midfield.
“I think my goalie (freshman Leyla Marcks) touched the ball twice,” Santana said.
Rhodes scored once in each half and also assisted on goals by teammates Nya Marcks, Vanessa Lopez-Becerra and Kat Geary-Lopez, all that despite briefly leaving the game at the end of the first half with an ailing leg.
“Multiple people ran into her and she also took a ball off the leg that left a mark,” Santana said.
Upon her return to the field in the second half, Upper Lake’s offense shifted into overdrive, according to Santana.
“If she hadn’t been in there I don’t think our offense would have ever woken up,” Santana said. “We really picked it up in the second half. Ashlyn Rhodes had a heck of a game.”
With most of her high school soccer career still in front of her, Rhodes has an opportunity to become the school’s next Karlee Zimmerschied, according to Santana.
“They need to look out for Ashlyn,” Santana said of Upper Lake’s opponents this season. “I think she could be even better than Karlee. She has great instincts and knows where to be. She connects well with all of her teammates.”
Goals by Rhodes and Marcks staked Upper Lake to its 2-0 halftime lead. The Cougars added to that in the second half with goals from, in order, Rhodes, Lopez-Becerra, Lopez-Geary and Jayme Zimmerschied. Veteran Maddy Young, a senior, assisted on each of Rhodes’ goals and on Zimmerschied’s goal.
Though the Cougars have only 14 on their roster this season, Santana likes the team’s makeup.
“This team is a lot smaller than I had last year, one of the smallest I’ve had since coaching here, but this sophomore class is really going to come through for us,” Santana said.
Upper Lake returns to action Thursday against either Willits or Technology of Rohnert Park.
