Though coach Luis Quezada said it wasn't his team's best game of the year, the defensively-led North Bay FC Wave toppled the San Francisco Nighthawks on Friday, but bigger challenges are coming.
Midfielder Nina Watkins, a former Marin FC club player, scored in the 60th minute on an assist by Kristina Hall for the game's only goal. The Wave held on to win, 1-0, and advanced to a 6-2 record. They are now in second place for the Women's Premier Soccer League Pacific North Division.
"It was a pretty hard-fought game on both sides," Quezada said. "We really weren't sure where we would be at this time. I knew we had a great team, but I knew the competition's just as good."
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Last time around, the first-year Wave beat the Nighthawks, 2-1 on June 25. Quezada praised his defense and goalkeeper Lindsey Dickerson, a Stanford sophomore-to-be, who posted a shutout. Quezada said the defense was able to keep the goal relatively quiet for Dickerson and took away several shooting angles.
Quezada, who has coached soccer for Drake and San Rafael high schools, said his team looked really composed against San Francisco, which shows that the team is coming together nicely. Building team chemistry has been one of the challenges for the Wave, who are in their first season.
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"We're learning every game as to what works, what doesn't work," Quezada said. "We're still growing as a young team."
Quezada said that unlike football or basketball, where teams can draw up set plays, soccer relies more on how the players read and react to each other. So far, North Bay FC has excelled in that regard. The Wave have the allowed the fewest goals in the Pacific North Division, four, and have the second-best goal differential, 14.
"We're just kind of taking it day by day," Quezada said. "I'm very excited for the girls, that they've done this well. Being a first-year team, it's a great victory."
At 6 p.m. on July 10 in Sacramento, North Bay will face the team with the best goal differential and the team on top of the division — the California Storm, three-time WPSL champions. The Wave played the Storm on June 6, losing 1-0, but Quezada and some of the players pointed to that loss as a game that really helped the team focus.
"I think our girls are ready," Quezada said. "It's kind of like playing your big sister or big brother. We have to attack the minute the whistle starts."
The coach said one of his favorite things about this team is that they have fight. He noted that they don't get complacent and play keep-away when they get a lead, but that they keep attacking until the end. Quezada said they would really need that attitude against the Storm, who feature players such as former Women's World Cup standout Brandi Chastain. Alexandra Morgan and Fiona O'Sullivan lead the Storm with five goals each.
"Even if they're ahead, they just continue to go forward," he said. "Our girls just continue to play hard, continue to make plays."
