LJ g soccer 1, Santana 0

Reserve Hannah Webster (right) vies for the
ball with Sultans' Jamie McDonald in
the first half Monday.
(Photo by Ed Piper, Jr.)

By Ed Piper, Jr.

"Shiver me timbers," La Jolla goalkeeper Vanessa Shaffer said at halftime, after catching a chill from the cold temperature due to lack of activity at her end of the field.

Kristin "Jonesy" Jones, now program director of Vikings girls soccer, singled out her defenders for a job well done in the team's season opener at Santana Mon., Dec. 4, a 1-0 clean sheet for Shaffer, a junior returning starter.

La Jolla scored the only goal of the game on a penalty kick by Sammy Smigliani seven minutes into the game, and the Vikings, missing four starters due to club team obligations, had to make it hold up for the victory.

Santana goalkeeper Abigayl Farr committed herself to the left, and Smigliani calmly tapped the ball into the open right side of the net.

Included among La Jolla's defenders were Grace Desert, captain for the game, Maz Devitt, another junior, and sophomore Kyra Ferenczy, making her first varsity start.

Jonesy pointed out to her squad that, with four games this week, it will be about "recovery", as well as keeping their chins up as they play some tougher teams as the week progresses--still without the quartet of missing starters until their club schedules end this week.

Schafer had a relatively relaxed time of it, fielding a few challenges in front of goal but nothing extremely dangerous.

Sophomore Hannah Webster had a goal called back in the second half after a handball call. The near referee explained to Jonesy that he couldn't see the handball from his angle, therefore he yielded the call to his colleague, even though he was farther away.

The Sultans played well in front of their home crowd. "That is a game that we would have tied last year," offered Jonesy, who credited the strong effort by her minions. She also acknowledged that, while she will be present as much as possible with the team, "It is a time of transition," and "There will be a time when I will have to be gone completely."

Valerie Strocco, meanwhile, is head coach, though she wasn't present at Monday's opener. "I will help Valerie out," said Jonesy, "as I'm able." The reason that Jonesy will transition out, from sources, is that an NCAA requirement stipulates that coaches of Division I teams cannot coach elsewhere. UCSD, where Jonesy is executive associate coach of the women's soccer team, has to make these changes as part of its step up to full Division I (without football) over the next handful of years.

The four starters who are finishing their club team schedules to be ready to enter the Vikings' lineup next week include defenders Olivia Riley and Jessie Penner, both seniors, junior midfielder Nikki Collins, and senior Emma McCall-Delgado, a forward. All are returning starters. All four have played their entire high school careers for Jonesy.

Jonesy, a former standout at UCSD as a player, told her team she will miss Wednesday's game and be present for Thursday's game.