By Michael Aronson

After playing only five games on the girls’ varsity soccer team, Catherina Gores ’15 has already outscored many of the players from last year’s squad. Gores has tallied two hat tricks, one in the team’s 8-0 win over Palisades on Nov. 30 and another in the 7-0 victory over Notre Dame on Dec. 6. She is the team’s leading scorer and averages two goals a game through the opening stages of the season.

“I was concerned about being the youngest on the team, but I have such great support from all of my teammates and coaches that I don’t really think about it anymore,” Gores said.

The forward has been playing soccer for 10 years after getting her start in the American Youth Soccer Organization when she was five.

Gores moved up to the club level and played for the Westside Breakers for four years before recently transferring to Real SoCal.

“I really enjoy being on a team and creating relationships with other girls,” she said. “I enjoy the sport itself and the challenges it brings.”

She is working on anticipating passes more effectively and becoming more vocal on the field.

Gores seeks to extend her scoring streak to six straight games in next week’s Mater Dei tournament.

“The reason I have been able to score so many goals is because my teammates are some of the best players I’ve ever played with. They make it easy for me,” Gores said.

Captain Danielle Duhl ’12 is impressed with the freshman’s performance thus far.

“It is really nice to have a finisher like [Gores] who our team is confident in,” Duhl said. “I am really looking forward to seeing her progress throughout the season and become more comfortable with us as a group.”