Sanger’s girls soccer team walked away with a sour taste a year ago after losing 7-1 against Buchanan High. But it was a different story when the two teams met again in 2023. This time, the Apaches took the field with a much-higher level of confidence and some new tools under their belt.
Sanger, the defending D2 Central Section champion, came out on top this time, taking down the 2022 D1 champs with a 1-0 win on Jan. 7.
“We definitely came to put up a fight, especially after losing 7-0 to Buchanan the previous year,” Sanger sophomore Abigail Cano said. “We didn’t expect an easy game; we knew Buchanan was going to give it their all on the field, as they always do. Coach Flores gave us the confidence that we needed to face this great team by helping us see our potential.”
Sanger was coming off a nearly three-week winter break as it faced the Bears on Jan. 7. But the break wasn’t just a time to rest for the Apaches. Rather, it was an opportunity to take their training to an even higher level.
“Coach Flores pushed us to our limits all winter break and introduced us to a new formation, which we used against Buchanan. Another component was our ability to play as a team with constant communication,” Cano said. “We were eager to play this game after almost three weeks off.”
Cano scored the lone goal in Sanger’s win against the Bears. Scoring that goal, she said, was a “surreal moment.”
“This goal came from a quick counterattack . Sierra Molinet made a perfect cross, which the goalie was not able to reach and I made a diagonal run and managed to push the ball in with three players on me,” the sophomore said. “It was exciting seeing everyone run to celebrate with me and listening to the cheers from the crowd. I felt like that goal made Sanger proud. We were one.”
Senior goalkeeper Shayne Stewart was also showered with praise from her teammates after a stellar performance against the D1 champs.
“Shayne was outstanding! She maintained her focus when Buchanan was high pressing, especially during the 2nd half but she never let her guard down,” Cano said. “No doubt Shayne was our MVP.”
After their win against the Bears, the Apaches kicked off league play with a 4-1 win against San Joaquin Memorial. Sanger has also had several other blowout wins this season. Two of those wins came against Central, one being a 4-0 win in a tournament and the other being a 5-0 victory in a non-league matchup.
Still, the high-point of the season so far appears to be Sanger’s win against Buchanan.
“This big win gave us a huge confidence boost. We had a very rough start to the season, but this win allowed us to see the better within us,” Cano said. “As we move forward, we will continue to work towards creating opportunities that will help us accomplish our goal of winning another CMAC and possibly another Valley title. These opportunities don’t just happen, we have to work hard to create them. This win did not change our mentality regarding other opponents, we will still continue to play OUR game.”