First published in the Jan. 27 print issue of the Pasadena Outlook.
The Flintridge Preparatory varsity girls’ soccer team was in jeopardy of having its 48-game Prep League winning streak snapped on Saturday, but Wolves senior captain Kate Fuetterer was determined not to let that happen. She scored the game-winning goal in the 79th minute to edge host Polytechnic, 2-1, and continue its streak which dates back to the 2016-17 season.
“It’s so relieving,” Fuetterer said about Flintridge Prep’s victory. “The team was working hard the whole game and it just ended up in our favor. The rivalry has been ongoing for many years and it’s very satisfying to come out with a win at the end. We hope to continue that streak moving forward.”
Flintridge Prep (4-0 league record, 11-0-2 overall) extended its win streak over the Panthers (2-2 league record, 6-4-1 overall) to 10 games since 2017.
“It means a lot because this makes it our 49th straight league win, so it’s huge; let’s see if we can get to the 50th,” Flintridge Prep head coach Esteban Chavez said.
The Wolves did a great job maintaining possession and creating scoring opportunities for themselves while limiting Poly to only a few chances in each half. Flintridge Prep challenged Panthers goalie Amy Sessions, who posted a game-high five saves, including four in the first half.
“Interesting story: Amy is our JV goalkeeper that we brought up,” Poly head coach Heidi Strauss said. “Our starting goalkeeper [junior Vivian Heller] broke her nose just before Christmas in our tournament that we played in. She’s been a really good addition and she’s really stepped up. I’m proud of her. That was a fun game.”
Flintridge Prep freshman Valentina Mancilla highlighted the first half by opening the scoring in the 30th minute on a 15-yard bullet. Junior teammates Sage Shurman and Nadya Lamarr each finished with one assist.
Poly had one of its few opportunities in the 38th minute on sophomore center forward Bianca Howitt’s penalty kick, which Wolves junior goalie Ana Bozzi-Mackay saved.
Howitt, who celebrated her birthday on Jan. 22, executed another opportunity in the 48th minute to tie the match, 1-1.
“Without the team, I probably wouldn’t have been able to score that goal,” Howitt said. “I had about two girls in front of me and I knew I could get past them with my skill and speed. I just committed to going forward and not being afraid — fortunately, I got a goal there.”
