(SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.) Girls soccer notched its third-straight win, defeating Northwest Christian on the road Monday evening. The Knights went down early, but roared back, scoring a trio of unanswered goals in the first half, and one more in the second to secure the 4-2 victory.
The Knights were led defensively by a strong back line and junior keeper Ava Johnson, who registered a tremendous 10 saves in the affair.
"In this game, our defense was finally tested," Head Coach Hector Orellana said. "We played a good team with a solid attack, and our goalkeeper Ava Johnson really impressed me. During the second half, she was put under pressure and made some amazing point blank-range saves, unlike any I've seen a keeper make. This was crucial for us, as it prevented the momentum from swinging in their direction."
Senior Jaidyn Wilson put Gilbert Christian on the board with a game-tying goal courtesy of a great pass from freshman standout Madyn Allan.
"This was a hard-fought win for us against a very talented team," Wilson said. "I am really proud of the way that our entire team battled back after their early attack put us behind."
Next on the offensive docket was junior Caprice Chiuchiolo, who wasted no time, scoring a pair of first half goals, to give GCHS a 3-1 edge at the break. Allan tallied the assist on Chiuchiolo's second, while freshman Avery Carter found her open for the third.
Chiuchiolo has nine goals through three games for Gilbert Christian, and has already locked up her legendary status as Knight, scoring her 50th high school career goal.
The selflessness paid off for Allan, the team's current assist leader (8), as she found the back of the net as the clock ticked down to post Gilbert Christian's final goal of the evening. Wilson repaid the favor from her own earlier score, to tally the assist.
"This was a great night for us against a tough and physical opponent," Orellana said. "Our mindset at this point in the season is to keep building and growing together. Developing chemistry is key, and I love to see our girls continuing to communicate with each other on the field. Credit to the maturity of our upperclassmen, who have really stepped up and been intentional about leading this group of girls. We really battled hard to get this one done, and this is actually the first time that we have won at Northwest Christian."
With its first loss, Northwest Christian drops to 2-1 overall. Gilbert Christian's record remains untainted at 3-0.
The Knights are back in action on Friday, December 15th for a home contest against Glendale Prep. The girls varsity match is scheduled to begin at 3:00pm. Glendale is 2-1 overall, and won its last contest 15-0.
-GO KNIGHTS-
