By Mike Rubin

Cassie Marsden has emerged as a strong senior captain as the Somerville High girls' soccer team is off to a 5-1-3 start.

With three games in three days, the Somerville High School girls soccer team continued their strong start.

Following a 1-1 tie with Malden last Wednesday, the Highlanders cruised to a 5-0 win over Latin Academy on Thursday followed by a 3-0 shutout win over Cambridge on Friday.

As of press time, the Highlanders currently stand at 5-1-3 overall.

In the Malden contest, the Highlanders faced 1-0 halftime deficit despite controlling territorial play.

“Many players had goal-scoring chances in the first half, including sophomore Natalie Henrique, Rachael Berry, Marrara Goncalves, Jessica Menjivar, and Karolina Nunes, but none of those shots wound up finding the back of the net,’’ said coach Jason Lenicheck. “ Malden played a very high offside trap that caught our forwards napping a bit, but we still were able to control the tempo of the game and were winning both territorially and in terms of time of possession. Unfortunately, the only thing that winds up counting is the score, and we were down 1-0 at halftime.”

In the second half, the Highlanders regrouped and applied pressure in the offensive end of the field. At the 20 minute mark, the Highlanders tied the contest as Jessica Menjivar scored on a header off a cross from Marrara Goncalves.

In the game’s final minutes, the Highlanders created opportunities from freshman Shianne Harrington and Ella Tyler, as well as Menjivar and Leslie Aviles, but failed to capitalize. In the final seconds, Natalie Henrique fired a shot that clanked off the post.
“It’s unfortunate to wind up with a 1-1 draw in a game that could have easily wound up as a win, but with all the sustained attacking pressure we were able to put on them,’’ said Lenicheck. “I’m not all that dissatisfied with how the team played, especially through the second half.”

Led by multitude of scorers, the Highlanders rolled to a 5-0 win over Latin Academy.

In the first half, Shianne Harrington guided the Highlanders to a 1-0 lead, finishing off a feed from senior defender Eimy Bonilla. Minutes later, the Highlanders extended the lead to 2-0 as Henrique looped a shot from the right wing.

Following a 2-0 halftime lead, the Highlanders continued their solid defensive play led by senior Tayla Plett and senior captain Cassie Marsden.

Early in the second half, the Highlanders increased the lead to 3-0 as Goncalves capitalized on a penalty kick. Midway through the second half, Karoline Nunes increased the lead to 4-0, finishing off a pass from defender Siobhan Murray. Capping the scoring, the Highlanders increased the lead to 5-0 as Henrique finished off an opportunity from Ella Tyler.

“In the second half the team played very well, moving the ball confidently on offense and continuing to hold the Latin Academy attackers off with organized defense, nicely directed by senior Plett and Marsden,’’ said Lenicheck.

Goalkeeper Kelsey Garrity fared solid, recording six saves in recording the shutout.

Led by another solid performance by Henrique, the Highlanders delivered a 3-0 shutout win over Cambridge at Dilboy Field on Friday.

In the eighth minute, the Highlanders engineered a 1-0 lead as Marsden executed a free kick, Henrique scooped up the loose pass and tucked in a shot short side. Minutes later, the Highlanders increased the lead to 2-0 as Shainna Harrington recorded a free kick from 30-yards out. Goncalves struck the ball off from Karolina Nunes, and connected a shot into the back of the net.

In  the final minutes, the Highlanders secured the  win with Henrique’s second goal of the game, scoring off a pass from Berry in the 78th minute.

“Garrity had a strong game in net and is starting to show more comfort on the field after just nine games of soccer experience, and she’s doing well to coordinate with the back-line of Cassie Marsden, senior Eimy Bonilla,  and sophomore Kaitlyn Kemp-Quinn,’’ said Lenicheck.
“Several of the younger players are beginning to increase the speed of their play on the ball and are starting to have some real success on the field. It’s always tough for ninth graders (and other new players) to adjust to the higher pace of high school soccer.”

The Highlanders faced Methuen on Monday before battling Lowell on Wednesday.