The girls’ soccer team improved to a 4-2-1 record, securing victories against Gaithersburg, Churchill and Blair, along with a tie against Wootton.

Churchill, the team that eliminated the Wildcats from the playoffs last year, entered the matchup with a 4-2 record. But despite the challenge, the Cats hit the ground running early on against the Bulldogs.

The game started out tilted in the Wildcats’ favor, with the Cats getting several looks off of corner kicks, as well as a shot from junior Haley Prindle hitting the crossbar. With only 24 seconds remaining in the first half, junior Erinn Carr scored a goal off of a leading pass from senior captain Maya Panicker, giving the Cats the lead at the half.

“I think we came out strong in the first half,” Carr said. “I think there was a lot of buildup against [Churchill], so I think coming out strong was really helpful. And especially the goal right before the half, I think that helped us get on top and lead us to a win.”

The Cats were able to build momentum off of the first-half lead, with senior Kendall Alexander scoring off of a corner kick by Carr. Later in the half, Panicker and Carr connected yet again for another goal, making the score 3-0. Churchill disrupted the shutout with a goal in the last few minutes, before freshman Ashlyn McCullough scored a goal to seal the win, making it 4-1 WJ.

“I think we’re passing really well and connecting, especially in [the game against Churchill] so that’s something we want to see,” freshman Ashlyn McCullough said.

In the competitive WJ-Churchill rivalry, the game was the first time that the Cats won by three or more goals since 1998.

“It was a full team win, everyone executed on the game plan perfectly,” head coach Neil Gottlieb said. “We knew our opponent, we studied them and prepared. So this was probably our best preparation leading up to a game, so it’s a good lesson for the players to know that when you prepare well and practice well, you’ll play well.”

The Wildcats also played against Blair on Monday, resulting in a 2-0 shutout victory. The win gives WJ a current two-game winning streak, and a 3-0-1 record through their last four games.

The Wildcats go head-to-head against B-CC on Saturday and then face a tough three-game stretch, with games against Whitman, Northwest and Richard Montgomery.