Viewpoint Girls seeking to seize the moment

Every once in a while, a perfect confluence of events transpires. Those are moments one should not waste.   The Viewpoint School girls soccer team has been building since the 2019/2020 season with a key group of eight seniors contributing their heart and soul to a program that has come a long way in the last four seasons.   The season before this group got into high school, the Patriots won five matches. That number bumped to eight the next year with some of them contributing as freshman. They had a solid season in the pandemic-shortened season, then went 13-7-2 and finished second in the Gold Coast League a season ago.   This year, it has all come together. With the eight seniors, some playing club at various levels, this team is looking to build on last year's playoff run.   After reaching the semifinals in the Southern Section Division V playoffs, coupled with the second place finish in league, the Pats are a Division IV team this season and earned the No. 5 seed after going 13-3-2 in the regular season and going a perfect 8-0 in league play.   "You try to take each year for what it is because each year is different," Viewpoint coach Travis Kikugawa said. "This group been in the making for several years. A lot of them have been together since fourth grade, so the core of this group been together for a while.   "We highlighted this season as one of those potential special seasons, but of course we have to go out there and perform. Last year we had a great season, and the loss in the quarterfinals has served as motivation. One of the themes for this season has been to finish, and they've been motivated all season. This is just a special group. They have resolve, they have grit, they don't want to lose and they don't want to let their teammates down."   This group that has come up together is paired with seven sophomore and seven freshman as Viewpoint is looking to be a consistent program that is competitive every year. And the San Fernando Valley is an area that is rapidly improving in terms of soccer, so establishing yourself as the cream of the crop is no small task.   Viewpoint is seeing the rewards of that hard work and that dedication as this team set out to make a statement this season. It is part of the way there after a 3-1 win over Redlands East Valley in the first round of the playoffs. Maddy Foxhoven scored the opening goal, her 37th of the season, then with 12 minutes left in the match Eliza Ozbolt scored what was the match-winner. [player_tooltip player_id='20138' first='Sam' last='Marella'] scored a third for good measure. The team will travel to take on Temple City on Friday in the Round of 16.   The win was the team's 14th win, and here are a few of the players that have helped the Pats march towards their goal of a title.   Marina Boudreau, Senior, Midfielder   Boudreau has a twin sister (see below) and like her sibling, is a key contributor to this team. She makes everyone around her better, and brings a very fierce competitive edge to the team. She is not going to be outworked and nobody wants it more than she does.   Marla Boudreau, Senior, Central Defender   Boudreau was an All-State selection a season ago, and she plays ECRL for LAFC. She is a stalwart center back. She is a tremendous competitor. She is the heart and soul of the team. She embodies everything that the Viewpoint girls soccer stands for. She is impossible to knock off the ball once she wins a ball and takes possession, and she is not someone you are going to beat 1v1. She is very good at getting between the attacker and the ball.   [player_tooltip player_id='19693' first='Kaylee' last='Foxhoven'], Sophomore, Forward   Foxhoven plays her club with Eagles Soccer Club, also on the 07 team, and is a forward that can play the No. 7 or the No. 11. She is really good with her left foot and finds herself playing on the left often, but she can move around. She has two things that any forward wishes they had... speed and touch. She is so fast and she's so good with the ball at her feet that she is incredibly dangerous. Her speed is a separator as she can get past defenders and find channels to pass through or find pockets of space to operate in. She is always going to be one of the most technical players on the field and she can beat players 1v1 with ease.   [player_tooltip player_id='19846' first='Madison' last='Foxhoven'], Senior, Forward   Like her younger sister, Foxhoven can play on either side, but what she has is license to move around as she sees fit. She is an incredibly versatile player, and knowing she is going to be marked she will move from the wide areas to the middle of the pitch as a striker, or sometimes sit into the attacking midfield spot. Once in a while she will drop deeper into the midfield and then come forward when you aren't expecting it. She gets a lot of freedom in the way that Lionel Messi does, keeping the other team off balance, and because of the compliment of pieces around her, this allows her this freedom. The Duke commit has 37 goals this season, leading the Southern Section. She is excellent at playing off other players, not relying solely on her skills. As far as skill goes, she has plenty of it. She is great in traffic, and she's used to being swarmed. She operates well in small spaces and she is patient, picking her spots well. The ECNL player at LAFC is very fit, she's physical and she's fast.   Lexi Goodman, Senior, Forward   Goodman can be described as a player who brings flavor to the pitch. She is very dynamic, both in that she can play as a striker or a wing, but also in that she has the ability to break down defenders on her own in the final third.   Ella Katz, Sophomore, Outside Defender   Katz is a three-sport athlete, which makes what she does on the pitch more impressive. She is a fierce competitor, a rock-solid defender and she puts in the work, shows up and gets the job done.   Lucy Landsbaum, Senior, Outside Defender   Landsbaum is an experienced defender who brings that knowledge and maturity with her. She had a very high soccer IQ, allowing her to read the game well. She is also a very fierce competitor.   [player_tooltip player_id='20138' first='Sam' last='Marella'], Sophomore, Holding Midfielder   Marella is part of that sophomore class that is the next wave for the Pats. She is a playmaker. She has great vision, she can play the ball very well, and pick a pass with the best of them. She is a physical and strong presence in the midfield. She is a player that is not afraid to meet you in the middle of the pitch and win the ball from you. Her presence looms so large that teams often don't attempt to move the ball forward through the midfield. She plays club for Eagles Soccer Club 07 team.   Madi Nadolenco, Senior, Keeper   Nadolenco is a very unique story. She grew up playing club soccer, but turned her attention elsewhere. She played basketball for the team that won the school's first ever Section title last season, and she is committed to Georgia as an equestrian. To say she's athletic would be an understatement. She decided to return to the soccer pitch this season to finish something she started with her friends years ago. She is a keeper with very good size, she's physical and she is a good presence between the posts for the Pats.   Ava Ozbolt, Senior, Holding Midfielder   Ozbolt has a ferocious competitive edge, and she is excellent in the midfield in terms of linking up play with the attacking players. She works tirelessly and does all the little things a No. 6 does that don't show up on the stat sheet.   Mason Wymer, Sophomore, Forward   Wymer is a winger that is not afraid to work. She puts in effort on both ends of the pitch and gives the team a lot of pace going forward on the flanks and has a high soccer IQ. As a sophomore, she has taken a huge step forward from her freshman season.   Sara Wynn, Sophomore, Central Defender   Winn partners with Marla Boudreau and has been a solid defender all the way around all season. She is a fierce competitor who brings that bite and that edge to the team dynamic.

Every once in a while, a perfect confluence of events transpires. Those are moments one should not waste.