Barely three minutes into the match Wednesday night Mia Hendryx notched the first of her three first-half goals for host Ripon on the way to a 6-0 Trans-Valley League girls soccer opener against Ripon Christian at Stouffer Field.
“That quick first goal started the process of playing together and getting us all hyped,” Hendryx said. “We all worked together and were finding through balls and Taylan (Dayak) gave me one of my assists with a very good ball.”
The other two assists for Hendryx came from Alexis Zamora who notched a brace of her own with an assist from Hendryx and Madelyn McKiernan. Alena Mallari capped the scoring for the Indians with an unassisted goal midway through the second half.
“This was an overall good game,” Zamora said. “I think our team played really good together, especially with our passing and our through balls.
“Mia got some really good goals and I got some assists and so did she. Their defense was really tough but our team figured it out.”
Ripon (1-0 TVL, 10-4 overall) is the four-time TVL champion with just two league losses in the past four seasons.
“I am really impressed with how the girls played starting off league tonight,” Indians coach Bryce Perkins said. “We clearly controlled the field, the pitch, the whole game was in Ripon’s control.
“Our midfield is so strong with Sofia Cabello, Allie Grussing and Maddie McKiernan, not to mention Taylen Dayak. We are running a 4-4-2 with a real solid foursome across the middle and we then split out the two wings and they just deliver through balls to them and you see all night long how our speed overwhelms the other team.”
The Ripon defense was on point with goalie Giuliana Locarnini having to make just one save.
“This is our eighth shutout of the season,” Perkins said. “That is just one stiff defense all led by Clara Schoolland and Addie Naranjo.
Kylie Koolhaas filled in for Morgan Schenk as goalie for the Knights (0-1, 4-5-1), as Schenk is on concussion protocol. Koolhaas had her hands full with 11 saves as the Indians fired off 23 shots with 17 on frame.
“They scored their first goal within the first three minutes,” Ripon Christian coach David Morris said. “That’s a tough way to start the game against a team that is usually in the top of the league.
“We changed formations halfway through the game to a formation we have only run in practice once, and we saw a lot of good things.
“We are still figuring out our personnel and who we are going to move where, and I think there is good reason to be hopeful about getting people in the right spots. We know we can play better than we played tonight.”
League play continues Friday for both teams when the Knights travel to Sonora at 5:45 p.m. and the Indians host Hilmar at 6 p.m.
