By snoadmin
The Long Beach State women’s soccer team walked out of the Dust Bowl in Norman, Okla., quite clean and nearly flawless, having disposed of its two opponents by considerably large margins.
Ten goals in two games were the catalyst in the team’s Oklahoma Classic championship victory. But what made things more impressive were the cohesiveness of the team and the reemergence of a few stars.
Junior midfielder Hayley Bolt was striking at will in both games, scoring and taking shots effectively. Bolt’s play makes this team a bit more dangerous on any field, and the team does not stop with her.
Freshman phenom Kristen Kiefer was unbelievable in the tournament, scoring two goals in four shots against Middle Tennessee. Kiefer also had two major assists against North Texas to not only the most valuable player of the Classic, but a potential MVP across the region. That player is junior forward Kim Silos.
Silos was quiet at the beginning of the season, having not scored a goal in the first five games. The team went 2-3, struggling to get consistent efforts from Silos and Bolt. However, a resolution came sooner than expected when Oklahoma came to George Allen Field. It not only ended the team’s tumultuous three-game losing streak, but it marked the revival of a force donning No. 10.
No. 10 made her 11th game-winner in that game, and LBSU has not trailed since. LBSU has outscored its opponents 15-1 during its current four-game winning streak, and five of those goals belong to Silos, who has found herself getting to know the opposing goalkeeper a lot more often.
When a LBSU athletics fan speaks of what women’s volleyball star Alexis Crimes does for her team, a proper answer would be that she makes her team better. The same breath should be spent on Silos because of how well several players, particularly freshmen Nikki Myers and Kiefer, have done in her presence.
Myers has thrived in her starting role and first season of competition for LBSU, tying Kiefer for second in goals scored. Myers credits Silos as a “role model” on the field, and Kiefer is becoming a greater threat on this team than expected.
Kiefer has assisted in three of Silos’ five goals this season, and has shown her ability to reach the net as well. She has excelled in providing an extra playmaker at the forward position.
Silos’ play is commonplace for LBSU. She has made a living off the big shot, and can reach LBSU’s career scoring record far before her college career is finished. The current record, held by Janet Fettig (33) from 1984-86, is seconded by Annette Fernandez (29), a teammate of Fettig during the same time span.
Ranked third is this season’s current leader in goals. With 24 career goals, she will not be at third for long because she remains a primary focus of the team’s scoring power. What is most important is that she is on a team of playmakers, most of them being first-year players still primed for improvement.
Silos has ensured everyone that she and the team are just getting warmed up. It took four astounding victories, but Silos proves that she can and will make a major impact in any game.
