By Drew Costley

George Mason High School’s girls varsity soccer team had its biggest win of the season so far with a 12-0 victory over Strasburg High School on Monday night. The George Mason Mustangs (9-0, 9-0) scored eight goals in the first 22 minutes of their match against the Strasburg Rams (1-9, 1-9).

“The girls were incredibly hard-working on Monday night; everyone was working off the ball to create attacking options. When we lost possession, there was a sense of determination to get the ball back right away,” said George Mason Head Coach Jennifer Parsons. “We have been working on this, so it was [good] to see it transfer to a game situation.”

Senior midfielder Claire Trevisan started the Mustangs’ scoring frenzy with the team’s first two goals – the first was assisted by senior forward/midfielder Camille Rice and the second was assisted by sophomore midfielder Ella Howard. Trevisan assisted with the third goal, which was scored by sophomore midfielder/defender Corinne Carson. Junior midfielder/forward Ava Roth scored the team’s fourth and fifth goals unassisted.

Howard scored the sixth goal off of an assist from Trevisan. Trevisan completed a first-half hat trick by scoring the team’s seventh goal off of an assist from Roth, and Roth scored the team’s eighth goal off of an assist from sophomore midfielder Autumn Broxson.

“A lot of players contributed to our offensive success, and everyone got an opportunity to get a substantial amount of game time,” Parsons said. “Our defenders did a good job of not allowing Strasburg to transition on us. Overall it was a very strong team performance all around.”

The Mustangs were scheduled to play Clarke County High School last Friday and William Monroe High School on Tuesday, but the games were postponed due to inclement weather. According to Parsons, the team has had five weather-related postponements so far this season.

The latest postponements have resulted in seven games left for the Mustangs to play in the final two weeks of the regular season. Parsons said this has added “quite a bit of stress” to the end of the season for her team, which is currently in second place in the Bull Run District only because the William Monroe High School Dragons (11-1, 11-1) have played and won more games. She said she’s confident her team will still be successful despite the scheduling changes.

“The girls have kept a good attitude, despite their disappointment,” Parsons said. “They get excited and prepped to play, especially mentally, and then having to deal with the let-down of a cancellation can get tiresome. It will be a challenge with so many upcoming games, as the school year winds down and [with] IB/AP testing on their schedules as well.”

Weather permitting, the Mustangs will play Clarke County High School at home next Monday, Central High School on the road next Tuesday, and Warren County High School on the road next Wednesday.