Benicia High’s girls varsity soccer team honored its eight senior players before Tuesday’s final regular-season home game against Fairfield. The Lady Panthers then went out and destroyed the visiting Lady Falcons, 12-0.

SENIORS ON the Benicia High girls varsity soccer team were honored before Tuesday’s game against Fairfield. The senior Lady Panthers are (from left) Baylee Rowley, Elin Wohlfart, Jenna Rogenski, Virginia Henderson, Emily Wolfe, Kim Fiori, Michelle Minahen and Dominique Calloway.

Benicia improved to 13-0 in the Solano County Athletic Conference with the victory. The Lady Panthers, who had already clinched their seventh consecutive SCAC title, are now focused on completing their second straight 15-0-0 conference season – and more.

“It’s great to win league, especially since it’s my senior year,” said defender Jenna Rogenski. “I’m glad we’re where we’re at right now.”

“It’s always great to get a league championship for team morale and bonding,” said senior Emily Wolfe. “It’s really special to keep that tradition going.”

“There was definitely pressure on us because it would have been a huge disappointment if we didn’t win league,” added senior midfielder Kim Fiori. “But we worked hard for it.”

Benicia didn’t have to work hard to beat last-place Fairfield (1-12 SCAC). The Lady Panthers scored six goals in each half, led by senior Michelle Minahen’s hat trick. Sara Hingley scored twice while Rogenski,, fellow seniors Baylee Rowley, Dominique Calloway and Elin Wohlfart, and juniors Tatiana Soglin, Brandy Caffey and Michelle Li each added a goal.

Goalkeepers Virginia Henderson and Maddison Goodmiller had to make only one save between them to record Benicia’s sixth straight shutout victory.

The Lady Panthers haven’t been tested much in SCAC play and must battle against themselves in practice to prepare for the upcoming Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs.

“Our No. 1 goal is to get to the Section championship and win,” Rogenski said. “We have to stay focused in practice and keep our eyes on the goal.”

“There definitely will be stronger competition in the playoffs and we still need to challenge ourselves in practice to get ready,” Fiori said. “We have to stay competitive.”

First-year varsity head coach Javier Martinez has coached Benicia’s varsity boys soccer program for several years but is still looking for his first Section championship. This year’s Lady Panthers hope to give him one.

“It would be really special to give that to our coach,” Wolfe said. “As a senior, it would be like giving him a going-away present.”

Benicia plays at Vallejo on Thursday night and wraps up the regular season at American Canyon on April 29.

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