Celeste Gutierrez scores hat trick as Cape Central routs St. Vincent

The 2024 soccer season started with a bang for Celeste Gutierrez and the Cape Central Tigers.

Gutierrez netted a hat trick and led the way to Cape Central’s season-opening 5-1 win over the St. Vincent Indians on Monday.

From the opening minute, the Indians were back on their heels.

Cape Central was generating pressure from all angles before finally breaking through in the sixth minute off a goal from Madison Phelps.

“The biggest thing we were looking to do in this game is just not give anything away in the first 10 minutes,” Tigers coach Duncan McKinley said. “Luckily, we were able to get a goal and keep the tempo up.”

With Phelps' goal in their back pocket, the Tigers went right back to work.

Just nine minutes later, Celeste Gutierrez found the back of the net off a feed from Averie Huff to make it 2-0 Cape Central.

“Getting them going together is definitely something we need to look at this season,” McKinley said. “It’s really good to see them both get on the scoresheet.”

The Tigers’ offensive onslaught continued as Hailey Edmundson scored on a wide-open goal to make it 3-0 Tigers just 22 minutes into the contest.

Perhaps the biggest driving force, despite not scoring a goal, was Huff, who is a pest around the ball and was seemingly always generating chances for the Tigers.

“She’s going to lead our line,” McKinley said. “She’s always working, making runs and creating chances.”

With Cape Central rolling, the Indians needed a response, but each attempt was shut down by Tigers goalkeeper Piper Underwood, who stopped five of six shots in the win.

“I think we’re all really comfortable with her back there,” McKinley said. “It gives us a sense of security to know that if there is a shot or a cross she’s there to protect it.”

However, with just over a minute remaining in the first half, the Indians finally beat Underwood when Cailyn Prost ripped a shot that hit the hands of Underwood and went in.

Prost’s strike cut into the lead and sent the match to halftime with the Tigers ahead 3-1.

“We just wanted to go back out and do exactly what we did in the first 10 minutes of the first half,” McKinley said.

The Tigers, and specifically Guttierez had a response immediately out of halftime as the senior scored a pair of goals in four minutes to make it 5-1 Tigers, while also registering a hat trick in the season opener.

“She’s been working her tail off in the preseason,” McKinley said. “She’s had some injuries in the past and I think having her fit has been exceptional and you can see it in her play.”

Neither team found the back of the net as the pair of goals from Guttierez held up as the only two in the second half.

For Cape Central, the 5-1 rout of the Indians is a sign of growth for the program.

The Tigers are coming off a season in which they finished 6-10 and opened the 2022-23 season with a 5-1 loss to the same Indians.

“I think that’s a testament to the work we’ve done in the preseason,” McKinley said. “The girls have really put in the work and we’ve built a strong bond among the girls.”

St. Vincent (0-1) has a week off before returning to play at 5 p.m. on Monday, March 25, when the Indians host Hillsboro.

Cape Central (1-0) will return to play at 5 p.m. on Friday, March 22, when the Tigers host Visitation Academy.