SAN MARCOS — Palomar extended its win streak to three games with a final score of 10-1 against Imperial Valley on Sept. 16, improving to a 2-0 record in the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference.
The Comets outscored their opponents 10-2 in the past two games, a trend that continued as they shut out Imperial Valley 7-0 in the first half.
Palomar’s first goal came in the 14th minute when freshman forward Sophia Frederick (#12) navigated her way past a single defender and drove the ball into the back of the net. She struck again in the 21st minute to put the Comets up by two.
Captain Naomi Allen (#24) scored Palomar’s third goal just two minutes later, bending the ball in while parallel to the goal.
“A lot of our freshmen have gotten a lot more comfortable with communicating with everybody, and also with being able to drive in and take the ball to the goal themselves,” Allen said.
Reese Leichtfuss (#9), Mia Magana (#17), and Emma Gryn (#18) joined in on the first half scoring frenzy. Leichtfuss scored twice for her first goals of the season.
“With the breakaway, I thought she was going to foul me from behind, but I managed to stay up,” Leichtfuss said. “I just kept pushing my arm back and then put it where it needed to go.”
With a 7-0 lead to start the second half, Palomar head coach Gregg Cacioppo put in plenty of substitutes, giving every Comet a chance to play.
While the Comets scored fewer goals in the second half, both Frederick and Leichtfuss netted their third goal of the game. The single player triple goal is known as a hat trick, a rare feat for even one player to achieve in a match.
Frederick completed her hat trick less than two minutes after halftime, beating the goalkeeper after receiving a cross from Gryn.
“I think our team chemistry has gotten really good,” Frederick said. “It feels like we’re a cohesive unit, both on the field and when we’re on the bench. We are always cheering for each other.”
Palomar’s only blemish on the day came on a 68th-minute penalty kick by Imperial Valley. Leichtfuss responded with her own hat trick goal soon after and Nataly Cisneros (#3) scored with less than two minutes remaining in the match, securing a dominant 10-1 win over the Desert Warriors.
“This match showed that they’re playing at a really high level right now by gelling together, maintaining possession of the ball and giving each other plenty of opportunities to score,” Coach Cacioppo said. “Our mentality, in the end, has to be us versus us, no matter who we are playing, and we’ll work to keep that consistency going forward.”
Palomar will take its win streak on the road for three straight games. The first match will be against Santa Ana at 1 p.m. on Sept. 19.
For schedule and team information, visit the Palomar athletics website.