Bakersfield College’s women’s soccer coach Scott Dameron cites his team’s collective strength of “balance” as the chief goalkeeper for defending the team’s promising kickoff for the season.
“The team has the ability to read a game well,” Dameron said of his team. “We emphasize playing as a team. We have a lot of new freshmen players, but with a couple of games, we can get everybody on the same wavelength.”
The team’s two standout captains are sophomore Carly McQuilliams, a forward and freshman Lisa Smart, a mid-fielder. However, Dameron stressed that no singular player commands all of the “focus.”
Another team notable is Maryellen Bunting, who has 25 total goals and six assists. Laura Sanchez is another standout with 10 goals and 16 assists so far. The leading keepers are Beatrice Guzman, Kayleigh Peaker and Haylee Maiden.
“We’re trying to get everybody to understand the system and to get to know each other’s tendencies, and hopefully as a team we will be able to defend well,” Dameron said. “We’ve made good progress so far.”
The team tied 1-1 with Antelope Valley during its first home game Aug. 29. On Sept. 1, the team beat Ohlone in its first away game, and Sept. 2, the team beat City College of San Francisco 3-1 during a second away game. Friday, Sept. 15, the team will play Cuesta College at BC, and Sept. 19, the team will face Allan Hancock College at BC. On Sept. 22, the team will play an away game at Santa Barbara City College.
Dameron has been coaching BC women’s soccer for seven years.
“It’s been a blast; I’ve really been blessed,” he said.
A graduate of the Assembly of God-based Vanguard University in Newport, Dameron has a master’s in Exercise Physiology.