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Weston’s Katie Orefice, left, brushes off a Bethel defender and gets to the ball during Thursday’s game in Bethel.
Photo: Alex Von Kleydorff / Hearst Connecticut MediaWeston’s Katie Orefice, left, brushes off a Bethel defender and gets to the ball during Thursday’s game in Bethel.
Weston’s Katie Orefice, left, brushes off a Bethel defender and gets to the ball during Thursday’s game in Bethel.
Weston’s Katie Orefice, left, brushes off a Bethel defender and gets to the ball during Thursday’s game in Bethel.
BETHEL — The Weston High School girls soccer team really couldn’t have scripted a better start to this season.
Through four games, the Trojans have piled up three wins and a tie, and with Thursday’s 7-0 triumph over South-West Conference foe Bethel at Rourke Field, they have outscored their four opponents by a 22-1 margin.
For a team determined to make it to the conference and state finals, the Trojans are on the right track. They were on the doorstep of destiny twice last year, advancing to both the SWC and and Class M state semifinals.
“We have a ton of talent, so we’re hoping to get as far as we can, maybe better than last year,” Weston senior co-captain Katie Orefice said. “Hopefully this is the year.”
Orefice scored two goals, and Julia Rosenberg, Nicki Dalrymple, Krissy Krigsman, Abigail Miles and Aiden Kreitler each scored one. Trojans starting goalkeeper Bridget Angus made five saves before being relieved by Jalyn Ferguson with about 18 minutes remaining. Ferguson made one save to preserve the shutout.
The Trojans have looked impressive thus far, and with each win comes a little more confidence.
“It’s one thing for the coach to say it, but it’s another thing for the kids to see it and start to believe for themselves,” Weston coach Gustavo Reaes said. “They’re starting to believe now in themselves. That shows a little maturity.”
VALIANT EFFORT
Weston peppered Bethel goalkeeper Natasha Redmond with 34 shots, and Redmond all but stood on her head in saving 14 of them. She made nine saves in the first half alone to keep Bethel’s deficit to a very manageable 1-0 at halftime.
“She’s going to be the best goalkeeper in the SWC, 100 percent,” Bethel coach Ben Weiss said. “She’s going to keep us in some games, but it takes all 11, that’s the thing.”
It was only a matter of time before the floodgates opened, with Weston sending in wave after wave of attackers. The Trojans fired 21 shots in the second half.
“We had to keep taking shots,” Orefice said. “We had some great looks; we just had to finish. In the second half, we found the net.”
TURNING POINT
The outcome was still very much in question at the end of the first half, with Weston leading only 1-0. Regardless of the Trojans’ advantage in shots and scoring chances in the first half, a Bethel goal early in the second half would have changed the complexion of the game dramatically.
Orefice, however, had other plans.
She scored two goals less than three minutes apart early in the second half to extend the Trojans’ lead to 3-0. It was all Weston after that.
rgregory@newstimes.com; Twitter @DanburySports
Weston 7, Bethel 0
| Weston (3-0-1, 2-0-1 SWC) | 1 | 6 | — | 7 |
| Bethel (1-2-1, 1-2-0 SWC) | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
Goals: Weston: Julia Rosenberg (from Abigail Miles), 25:00.Weston: Katie Orefice, 43:00. Weston: Katie Orefice, 46:00. Weston: Nicki Dalrymple, 51:00. Weston: Krissy Krigsman (from Abigail Cohen), 72:00. Weston: Abigail Miles (from Krissy Krigsman), 74:00. Weston: Aiden Kreitler, 75:00. Shots: Weston 10, Bethel 34. Saves: Weston: Bridget Angus 5, Jalyn Ferguson 1; Bethel: Natasha Redmond 14.
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