Rattlers secure shutout on Senior Night
Reagan dominated from start to finish and tied a bow on its Senior Night with a 6-0 win over Madison in a District 28-6A girls soccer game Tuesday at Comalander Stadium.
The Rattlers (13-4-1, 11-1) extended their win streak to nine and maintained their district lead over second-place Johnson with two weeks left in the regular season. The Mavericks (8-9-2, 4-7-2) remained in sixth in the district but are well behind fourth-place Brandeis (73-3) for the final playoff spot.
The Rattlers wasted no time taking the lead as Brooke Castillo passed to Chelsea Hull, who scored only two minutes into the match.
Reagan scored two more goals in the first half, including a header from senior forward Jenna Salazar off a corner kick.
The Rattlers were dominant throughout, putting pressure on Madison’s defense and earning multiple corner kicks while taking a 3-0 lead into the break.
Reagan coach Kathleen Mccollum-mudge said she was pleased with the first half of play but encouraged her team to remain focused and fight to the finish.
“We needed to make sure we did things better, like keep the ball on the ground and continue to improve because we need to improve every game,” Mccollum-mudge said. “The main thing was to keep the focus, play better and do all of the little things right.”
It took the Rattlers a tad longer to get on the board in the second half, scoring their fourth goal with 20 minutes left in the match when Castillo tipped the ball in off a corner kick from senior midfielder Molly Alger.
Reagan came close on another scoring opportunity only a few minutes later, but Madison freshman goalkeeper Addison Brewer dove to prevent a five-goal lead.
The Rattlers, though, eventually added two more goals, including the final one seconds before the end of the match, to close out the decisive victory. Mccollum-mudge said she wants to see her players continue to focus on themselves and what they can do to improve as the playoffs approach.
“We have to keep playing well as a team. We must have chemistry, work together and improve every game. That’s our goal,” she said. “It’s continuously working to improve and not ever being complacent. We need to not settle, challenge each other in practice, stay focused and be positive.”
Castillo, who finished with a goal and an assist, shared the same sentiment.
“We are going to keep on improving and getting better going into the playoffs,” Castillo said. “I think we’re on a really good path.”