ROHNERT PARK — Notching their first official win of the season — and first victory since 2019 — the Clear Lake High School girls soccer team scored three first-half goals en route to a 4-2 victory over the Technology Titans on a red-hot Tuesday afternoon in Rohnert Park.
Clear Lake (1-3-2) didn’t have enough players to field a girls soccer team last season — although several girls did play on the boys team — and there was no season in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We played the most composed game I’ve seen in a long time,” Clear Lake head coach Derick Fiske said of his team’s overall effort, which came in triple-digit heat.
“Around 109, 108, 107 degrees at the start of the game,” Fiske said.
The teams were given extra water breaks because of the intense heat and Technology even supplied the Cardinals with a popup sunshade because the field where the game was played offered no natural shade at all.
“The girls on both sides were great,” Fiske said. “The fans from Tech were really supportive and complimentary.”
Clear Lake opened up a 3-1 lead in the first half on the strength of goals by freshman Giselle Carbajal, the first of her high school career, senior Nancy Ruzicka with an assist from senior Ashley Pyorre, and senior Ashton Fiske with an assist from Pyorre.
Tech closed to 3-2 in the second half before Pyorre’s goal, assisted by Brianna Knight, put the game away.
“The bright spot for us was the midfield,” Fiske said of the play of Ruzicka, Grace Gomze and Anyssa Perez. “They controlled everything up the middle.”
And with Pyorre and Fiske controlling everything on the right side of the field, the Cardinals were able to generate a ton of offense — 27 shots on goals in all.
“Our passing was excellent,” Fiske said.
Clear Lake had a fifth goal taken off the scoreboard because of an offsides call Fiske said was questionable.
While the Cardinals have a senior-dominated roster, many of the team’s newer players — freshmen Carbajal and Kam Cresto among them — also shined in the victory.
“They played their absolute tails off,” Fiske said.
“I’m happy going into Fort Bragg in three weeks,” Fiske said of his North Central League I opener Sept. 27 in Fort Bragg.
The long layoff before the Cardinals’ league opener is because of the decision of four other NCL I schools — Kelseyville, Cloverdale, St. Helena and Roseland University Prep — to switch from fall soccer to winter soccer this school year. The NCL I fall league now has only five teams left and that means fewer games for the remaining teams.
“We came out of our non-league schedule unhurt,” Fiske said. “We came out and did what we wanted to today.”
