Healdsburg Youth Soccer players returned to the field this weekend for the first time in two years after the 2020 fall season was canceled due to the pandemic. The players did not miss a beat with strong performances across all divisions.
Under 12 girls
The Healdsburg Devils started their weekend on the road against Cloverdale securing an 8-3 win on Saturday. Key goals by Maria Castro, Remy Dorrance, Madeleine Herzberg and Natalia Arreguin helped propel the Devils to victory. Frances Hawkes was phenomenal at both forward and defensive right-back positions. Eve Kladder had a strong performance in goal in the second half to secure the victory for the Devils.
The Healdsburg Dire Wolves started their season with an away game in Windsor. With only a few practices and playing short-handed, the girls put forth an incredible effort on a hot day. Ava Wickersham anchored the defense in the opener. The Dire Wolves return to Windsor next Saturday for their second game of the season.
Under 12 boys
The Healdsburg Rams took on the Healdsburg Panthers in another exciting cross-town affair to kick off the season. The Panthers were victorious 6-2 after a very close first half. Ricardo Diaz played excellent defense for the Rams while Asher Hildreth stood out at the forward position for the Panthers.
On Sunday the Rams were back out on the field beating their Cloverdale opponents 4-1. Goals from Luke Landros (2), Jacob Beltran (1) and Evan Schimmel (1) led the Rams to victory.
The Panthers also retook the field Sunday but fell to their Windsor opponents 8-5 in a tough-fought match. London Hughes converted a highlight reel penalty kick in the loss.
The Healdsburg FC Rec Team opened up their season with away games against Windsor and Cloverdale (no results reported).
Under 14 girls
The Healdsburg Habaneros, playing with just one substitute, faced a tough Windsor opponent and lost a well-played 0-3 game. Goalie Siena Jasper and center defensive mid Anette Dehesa played outstanding games in the defeat.
The Healdsburg Cobras, started the season strong winning both their opening games against Windsor and Cloverdale 5-0 and 7-1, respectively. Olivia Saini, coming back from injury, played strong games in the mid-field while Stevie Mitchell anchored the defense. Adelaide Saunders and Emmersyn Reasoner stood out for the Cobras finding the back of the goal for their team.
Under 14 boys
The Healdsburg Red Ravens lost a close game to their Cloverdale opponents 5-2. Abran Gonzalez and Xaveir Gonzalez both scored for the Ravens. Adrian Gutierrez and Milo Kluse played excellent defense, while Jonathan Rivera stopped two one on one opportunities against the opposing forwards in goal. Jenner Kozubal and Teague Jasper also had strong games at left and right wings, respectively.
Healdsburg U14B opened the season as the visitors against Windsor. Although the team took the lead with an opener from Liam Danneker, Windsor was in control with a 4-1 lead at half-time. Second-half goals from Lukas Brennan and John Henry Pittenger brought Healdsburg within 1 goal of a draw, but Windsor survived by fighting off some last-minute shots from Martin Vasquez and Cayson Hagen. If only the game would have lasted a few minutes more.
The Aztec Warriors were victorious 7-3 against their Windsor opponent. Silvestre Castro, Henry Smith, and Jack Driscoll all scored important goals in the victory. Liam Kramer was the player of the match with a stellar game on defense. The Warriors will return to action next Saturday with a home game against Windsor.
