This winter’s unsung sports success is the Healdsburg Girls Soccer program, boasting a 5-0 record as 2025 comes to an end. Coach Edgar Gonzales and assistant Brian Saini have found a formula to produce wins on the grass, at home or on the road.
Competition began Nov. 18 on the Healdsburg field against Cloverdale, under the hometown lights on a misty night. The Hounds spread it around, and goals by senior Vanessa Castro, sophomores June Sullivan and Olivia Saini, and freshman June Nelson produced more than enough goals for the 4-1 victory. The Nov. 21 game against Gateway produced a 9-2 win, and the dominance continued on Dec. 2 against Salesian College Prep with a 5-0 shutout.
They faced a challenge during their Dec. 9 match with Roseland University Prep, but improved to 4–0 on the season with a hard-fought 1-0 victory at home. “The match remained scoreless deep into the second half until a cross from freshman Chiara Mork came off an RUP defender and into the net for the game’s lone goal,” reported coach Gonzales. “Goalkeeper Estrella Santiago secured the win in the final minutes with a diving save as Roseland University Prep pressed for an equalizer.”
On Dec. 12 Healdsburg mounted an impressive comeback on the road, defeating the Drew School 4–3 in San Francisco. The game produced an excited and detailed report from Gonzales. “After Healdsburg fell behind 2–0 in the first half, sophomore Olivia Saini scored to cut the deficit in half, and freshman June Nelson followed with the equalizer. Drew reclaimed the lead before halftime, but in the second half the Hounds defense, anchored by sophomore Maria Castro, did not give up another goal. Nelson scored again in the second half to tie the match. Freshman Chiara Mork then netted the go-ahead goal, lifting the Hounds to a hard-fought victory.”
The action turns local next year, with the first Greyhounds game of 2026 against St. Helena on Jan. 7 in Healdsburg, followed by a Jan. 9 rematch at Cloverdale.
