SATISFACTION—Westlake High girls’ soccer senior midfielder Tatum Wynalda, right, splits a Thousand Oaks double team on Jan. 11 at TOHS. Wynalda scored three goals for a hat trick in the Warriors’ 4-1 win. Photos by MICHAEL COONS/Acorn Newspapers
GIRLS’ SOCCER /// Westlake Warriors
The Warriors have seized the spotlight like the inscrutable Wienermobile, which has just run over Mayor McCheese at the Rose Bowl parade and declared Hot Dog Law in the land of the free and the home of the sausages.
Only a microscopic virus could possibly derail this juggernaut of juggernauts.
Westlake High’s girls’ soccer team has opened the season with eight straight dominating wins. The secret, not that it would have lasted long anyway, has been out for a while: The Warriors are ranked No. 3 in the CIF-Southern Section Division 2 poll.
“It’s a really nice group with a good balance of strong, older leaders—Tatum and Kenna and Lily—and a good group of freshmen who have come in and really impacted and helped the program,” said Frank Marino, Westlake’s longtime head coach.
Tatum Wynalda, Kenna Thomas and Lily Berlinger are senior standouts who make an impact at all three levels of the pitch.
Wynalda, a Pepperdine commit, is an attacking midfielder who has notched hat tricks in two straight outings, against Newbury Park last week and at Thousand Oaks on Tuesday night.
Thomas, who has scooped up multiple college offers, is a left back defender who also contributes at forward when necessary.
Berlinger, a forward, is a multisport star who will play softball at Brown University.
The Warriors are just happy to play, period.
“After quarantine and COVID, everyone’s just excited to be back and playing and have a regular season,” Wynalda said. “Our whole team connects really well. We have great chemistry.”
Wynalda, the fifth person in her family to play soccer at Westlake, including her father, Eric Wynalda, is a gifted scorer. Tatum Wynalda racked up 12 goals in eight matches, including seven scores in three Marmonte League soirees.
“She’s having an absolutely tremendous season,” the coach said of Wynalda.
The senior, a 4.0 GPA scholar athlete, said she’s looking forward to facing defending Marmonte champion Oaks Christian. The rivals (Westlake took second in league last season) are scheduled to play twice in the regular season, barring any omicron entanglements: on Jan. 18 at WHS and Feb. 3 at Oaks Christian.
“We definitely have some pretty big opponents in league, one being Oaks Christian, our long-standing rival. That’s definitely going to be an exciting game,” Wynalda said. “We know a bunch of people over there. That will be a huge hurdle and test to see where we’re at.”
SATISFACTION— Westlake’s Calista Banihashemi, left, congratulates Kenna Thomas after Thomas scored a goal in the Warriors’ 4-1 win on Tuesday at Thousand Oaks. Thomas, a senior leader with a 4.8 GPA, wants to continue playing soccer in college.
Oaks Christian is ranked No. 4 in Division 2.
Thomas, who said she is on the verge of committing to a college squad, also plays alongside Tatum on the LAFC club.
“I’m really excited for the rest of the season,” Thomas said. “Even though it’s short, it’s still an amazing feeling to be playing with this team. I’m just looking forward to what we can accomplish.”
Westlake’s offense creates and finishes multiple chances every outing, and the defense often doesn’t let other teams even get a whiff of the goal.
“We score a ton of goals,” Thomas said. “Four goals. Five goals. That’s just what’s expected. We have really great goal scorers on the team. I think we’re really good defensively. We have defenders who can hold their own, and they’re technical and aggressive.”
Thomas, a 4.8 GPA scholar athlete, said she will consider double majoring in business and psychology in college. She works as a math and reading tutor three days a week.
Kaitlyn Huemme is a senior starter at center back.
“Kaitlyn’s a really good defender,” Marino said. “She’s got great speed and great pace.”
Emily Katz and Riana Mistry are seniors who have spent all four years playing soccer in the program.
The freshman group, arguably the deepest rookie class in Marino’s
23 seasons at Westlake, has made an immediate impact.
Calista Banihashemi is a starting holding midfielder.
“She’s great in possession. She’s a good defender,” the coach said of the rookie. “She’s done really well for us.”
Fellow newcomer Layla Simon notched a goal against Newbury Park last week.
Finley Aghassi is a freshman logging important minutes at center midfielder.
Tahirih Vahdat, a freshman, starts at outside back. She excels defending one-on-one and maintaining possession.
“She’s playing with great confidence,” Marino said of Vahdat.
Kaia Tan is a freshman earning minutes at outside back. She’s a smart, sound defender.
Leah Kainen is a technical, crafty freshman midfielder with great vision.
Ava Bowers, a rookie forward, has the potential to become a lethal striker.
Brooke Pollard, whose sister Brittany played soccer at Agoura and Santa Clara University, is a freshman starting center back.
“It’s a great class,” Marino said of the freshmen in the understatement of the year (so far). “They’re getting great experience playing with good seniors and senior leaders on our team. That’s setting a tone for our culture and what we expect in our program. The future’s really bright.”
The juniors and sophomores can play, too.
Ava Castle is a dynamic outside back.
“She always impacts the game,” Marino said of the junior.
Lex Sahagian, a junior, starts at center midfielder.
Izzy Glonek and Isabel Torres, who recently returned from an injury, are talented junior midfielders.
Emma Naftzger, a sophomore forward, is one of the most improved players on the squad.
Alyssa Rice is a hardworking junior forward.
Lilah Tuch, a left back, and Anya Peruvemba, a center back, are juniors to watch.
Madison McKay, a junior transfer from Louisville High in Woodland Hills, makes her presence felt at goalkeeper.
Vivian Burrows, a returning junior, is a solid backup goalie.
Michele Sharts and Brenton Frame are assistant coaches.
“We’re all talented, and we all have a winning mentality,” Thomas said. “We have so much talent. Even our bench, we have a lot of depth. Anyone we sub in can make a difference. . . .
“I think we’re a really great team.”
Thousand Oaks’ Ivy Williams, left, kicks the ball away from Westlake’s Ava Bowers during a match at Thousand Oaks High School on Jan. 11.
Find sports editor Eliav Appelbaum on Twitter @EliavAppelbaum.