Update: Wilson Girls Soccer Team Going to CIF Finals

Editor's Note:  The Bruins girls soccer team defeated Newbury Park Tuesday afternoon and are going to the CIF Finals, which happen either Thursday or Friday, depending on the outcome of other matches. New photos are coming shortly from the action at Wilson's field.

Yes, they win all the time.

They also know how easy it is to lose.

And so this group of elite soccer players at Wilson High School appreciates every victory, every chance at a title.

Today, the Bruins host Newbury Park in a CIF Division 2 girls soccer semifinal game at 3 p.m. For Wilson, the Moore League champion and No. 3 seed in the division, this is the third semifinal appearance in four years. The winner advances to the CIF finals, scheduled for March 4-5.

“Each year is special in its own way and there’s never a guarantee (of a title), so we cherish the chances when they come,” Bruins coach Jason Kirkwood said. “There’s a lot of teams that would die to be in this position and our girls know that. They don’t take it for granted.”

In 2008, Wilson won a CIF title, a Southern California Regional title and a “mythical” national title, voted the top high school team in the U.S. by ESPN RISE and the National Soccer Coaches of America. They boasted a near-perfect 29-1-2 record, with 17 of the 24 girls on the roster moving on to NCAA Division I soccer programs.

There are 10 seniors on this year’s team, which Kirkwood called, “The best of the best.” Four players, seniors Kim Marshall, Kimberly Albeno, Renee Mendiola and Breegan Saller, were freshmen on the national championship team.

Some of the girls have played at the elite club level for nearly a decade, Kirkwood said. They’ve traveled across the U.S., they’ve played in the some of the most pressure-packed situations sport has to offer, and many times they’ve been on the winning side.

By definition, high school soccer is not elite. You have girls from every level – from the AYSO player to the junior All-American. The skill levels wildly vary. For many teams, that creates a rift. For the Wilson girls, it creates a bond.

“We play every game for each other. We just go out and have fun with each other and none of us like losing,” Marshall said. “We’re playing for someone that got a red card, and we know we need to win one more game for her so she’ll get to play one last game. We’re just playing for each other. We all are good and we have good chemistry. There’s not as much drama as there can be in club.”

Unlike some sports, where players are recruited for college from their high school teams, school pride and city bragging rights are big motivators for the elite players to join the high school team. It also gives the club player a chance to get on the pitch with friends they’ve played with when they were little girls.

“High school is a different beast than club soccer,” Kirkwood admits. “But chemistry is so important and we have a good foundation that teaches them pride in Wilson soccer, and the older kids show the younger kids the importance of that.

“The other thing that high school has over club is a lot of these girls played in AYSO together, or in middle school soccer together. One of the things that makes high school soccer special is they’re playing with girls they’ve grown up with. They’re representing their high school and their city.”

Marshall said when she was a freshman, the seniors were welcoming and made a huge difference for her. She said she and her friends are doing the same for this year’s freshman by providing a calming influence as the games get bigger.

“A lot of us have been through really nervous games and we’ve learned how to control the nerves,” Marshall said. “When we do get nervous, we use it in a positive way. That adrenaline rush helps me not to get tired legs.”

Kirkwood called Marshall, Albeno, Mendiola and Saller “the ones that drive the team.”

Marshall, a center midfielder that will play at Wake Forest next season, has the ability to dictate the pace and take over a game, Kirkwood said. He calls center midfielder Albeno, who has a scholarship to Lemar University, an extremely hard worker that brings a lot of energy to the team.

Forward Renee Mendiola, who will play at Cal State Long Beach next year, is considered a huge offensive threat despite being injured most of the first half of the season. Starting goalie Breegan Saller is great leader in the back and communicates really well with defensive line, Kirkwood said.