Written by Ernie Stone

The Premier Soccer Santa Clarita Valley Rooks showed signs of improvement in a 4-0 loss to the Los Angeles Rampage on Saturday night at Canyon High School.

The Rooks are in their first year of existence in the Women’s Premiere Soccer League. The loss Saturday moved them to 0-6-0 on the season.

“These girls are just coming out of college. They learn many different styles of play from different coaches, and it takes time to get all of the components to mesh together,” said Steve Cooper, the Rooks head coach.

The Rooks’ opponents were the more experienced Los Angeles Rampage, whose well-orchestrated offensive attacks kept the Rooks in a defensive mode for the majority of the game.

The Rampage (4-2) scored twice in the first half and then closed the game with two goals in the 83rd and 90th minutes to seal the victory.

“You just can’t let up out there. We all know from firsthand experience that if you don‘t close a game then the other team can easily come back and shock you,” said Rampage midfielder Brielle Slepicoff of her team’s assertiveness in the latter parts of the second half.

While the Rooks lost, a sense of optimism was the recurring theme among players and fans alike.
Goalkeeper Brooke Gauvin played in her first game in a Rooks uniform, making many spectacular saves in the second half and giving her coach and fans something to look forward to.

Rooks defender Reauna Wang expressed her satisfaction with the team’s performance. “We are so much better than at the beginning of the year, there is no comparison.”

The Rooks play again on Sunday against the SoCal Rush at Canyon High School. Game time is 5 p.m.
So Cal Rush (2-5-0) won their second game of the season on Sunday, 2-1, against the West Coast Football Club. So Cal Rush beat the Rooks, 1-0, in their only previous meeting of the season, May 31.