In the first game of the season, Flowing Wells' girls already are playing as well as they did last year.
The host Caballeros dominated from the start as they beat Pueblo 10-1 Monday in the opening game of the Brandon Bean Classic.
"I think it is kind of a good gauge of where we are at and seeing where people can play and where they are going to be strong and comfortable at," first-year coach Chris Nogami said.
Flowing Wells did not waste much time as Skye Schultz took off from where she left last season, scoring 36 seconds into the game off of a Randi Fisher cross.
Four minutes later, Schultz scored again as she beat the Pueblo defense to the ball and put it in with the side of her foot.
Schultz added a third goal later in the half, but a sequence involving Michaela Izzo put the game to rest.
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Izzo scored off a Fisher assist in the 22nd minute to give Flowing Wells a 4-1 lead. Two minutes later, Izzo scored again off an assist from Celeste Carrera.
The hat trick by Izzo was complete one minute later when she stole the ball deep in Pueblo territory and was able to put it in.
Schultz, who finished with four goals and one assist, said that the early season is important for team unity.
"It is good work and practice for us. Right now we are just trying to work on our positioning and everything considering that we have a whole new team. We are just trying to build it back up to where we were last year," she said.
During the 2005-06 season, Schultz was a second-team all-state player and scored a team-record 38 goals as a freshman for the Caballeros, who lost in the Class 5A-II state championship game.
Although Pueblo did not have the desired result, coach Marcela Zepp said there are still positives to be taken.
"We see things that we can work on and then learn from the loss. Sometimes playing in a game like this is disappointing, but you have to find a way to pull out strengths," she said.
Boys soccer
● Catalina 1, Catalina Foothills 0: At Foothills, Mario Moraga scored on one of just four shots his team took to help Catalina topple the reigning 4A-I state champions in Brandon Bean pool play.
Moraga's goal came in the 20th minute, and Foothills was unable to even the score despite 19 shots on goal.
● Douglas 1, Sahuaro 1: At Douglas, sophomore Zach Winans scored in the 62nd minute to give Sahuaro a tie against the 2006 4A-II state co-champions.
Douglas freshman Ramon Acosta scored the Bulldogs' lone goal in the 25th minute.