Freshman midfielder Amelia Pazmino was confident her soccer skills were good enough for her to hold her own against older players as her St. Laurence career began.
Her only concern was her size. Pazmino knew she would have to overcome a disadvantage in that department.
“I’m only 4-foot-11 or maybe 5-foot,” Pazmino said. “My height is a big challenge, especially on headers, having to get up there and reach them. But I stay strong and get them.
“I know they’re bigger than me, so I work 10 times harder on the field to get around them.”
That work has been paying off. Pazmino recorded her second multi-goal game in five days, scoring twice Monday to lead the Vikings to a 4-0 win over crosstown rival Reavis in Burbank.
Lucia Couch and Sofia Velazquez each added a goal for visiting St. Laurence (9-4-2). Marissa Amador made two saves to record the shutout, with plenty of help from a defense led by Avery Palomar, Giselle Castillo, Brianna Diaz and Maddie Marin.
Kaylamine Flores made 10 saves for Reavis (4-9), while Erica Divizio put two shots on goal.
Pazmino needed less than three minutes to get the Vikings on the board as she took a short corner kick, cut in and ripped in a tough-angle shot from 15 yards.
“We’ve been doing that corner play for a while so I’ve kind of got the hang of it now,” Pazmino said. “I’ve gotten better at it as the season has gone on, and it felt good to score on that play.”
Pazmino made it 2-0 less than five minutes later, scoring with a high shot on a free kick from 25 yards.
Diaz, a senior defender, was not surprised to see the electric freshman deliver again.
“Amelia’s a key part of the team already,” Diaz said. “She’s fearless with the ball and she lifts the energy of our team and just gets us going when we’re down.”
So where does that fearlessness come from for one of the youngest, smallest players on the field?
Well, becoming a first-time wrestler this winter definitely helped Pazmino with her toughness.
“I’m so glad I joined,” she said. “One of my best friends does it, she got me to try it out, and I really loved it. It’s helped me a lot with my leg muscles and conditioning. It’s full-body movement.
“It’s definitely helped make me tougher, too.”
Pazmino, who has 10 goals on the season, attacks relentlessly on the soccer field, no matter the size or age of the opponent.
“I’m not afraid of the ball, so I just go after the ball and hope for the best, hope I don’t get injured,” she said. “I don’t worry if they foul me or anything. I just get up and keep playing.”
Pazmino is a three-sport athlete, who also played volleyball last fall.
“I love it,” she said. “If I was just sitting down, I’d be really bored. Volleyball, you’re diving and you’re constantly moving for the ball, so that’s helped me a lot with soccer, too.”
Couch and Velazquez added goals in the second half Monday, while Diaz and the defense took care of the rest for the Vikings.
“It’s a joy to win a rivalry game,” Diaz said. “It’s always a good time coming over here and playing in a great crosstown rivalry, and we played well as a team and stuck together.”
Pazmino, meanwhile, is heating up. She has scored five goals in the last four games. And she knows she can compete at this level.
“Obviously, at first, I was nervous,” she said. “I didn’t really know what the environment would be like. But now I’m really confident and comfortable with the team.
“I love playing with them, and it’s such a great environment to be around.”
