Pacifica's Lauren Young/Jason Eichelberger, The Register

GARDEN GROVE- Though only a sophomore, Pacifica forward Lauren Young is already making quite an impact on the field.

Her first-half goal put the Mariners’ ahead to stay in their 2-0 win over Kennedy in a showdown for first place in the Empire League on Thursday.

Even after scoring, Young continued to make her presence felt throughout the contest with her physical and aggressive style of play.

According to Young, it’s an aspect of the game that she enjoys.

“I’ve learned that I have to be physical,” Young said. “It’s normal for me to have my jersey being pulled and arms on my shoulders, so I have to stick to my style and stay aggressive.”

It was a common sight throughout Thursday’s contest to see Young running full speed for loose balls and getting good looks at the net with her ball control and ability to maneuver around and through the defense, even if that meant dealing with heavy contact.

Though she doesn’t shy away from engaging in physical play, Young made it clear what she feels her best attributes are to the Mariners.

“My role on this team is to score goals and help create them,” she said.

Through the first 20 games of the season, Young has fulfilled that role quite well.  She is second on the team with nine goals and is tied for second with six assists.

Young stated that another one of her main objectives each time she steps out on the field is to make sure her opposition knows that she is a player that must be reckoned with.

“I love having the defenders know that I’m there and that they have to worry about me the whole game,” she said.

Mariners coach Matt Etchison noted a number of areas where Young has excelled in this season.

“She pressures the ball well and wins a lot of balls in the opponents half of the field,” he said. “Lauren also plays very well with her back to the goal and has worked hard on creating shots for herself.”

Young’s formula for continuing the success the Mariners have enjoyed thus far this season was simple.

“I just need to stay positive and believe in my team throughout the league season and into CIF,” she said.

RELATED:

• Pacifica needs just a minute to stop Kennedy

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.