UC girls soccer team opens season with victory over Brearley
Union Catholic kicked off its 2025 girls' soccer season with a dominant 6–1 victory over Brearley on Thursday afternoon in Scotch Plains, fueled by standout performances from forwards Sophie Peterson and Sienna Parker.
Peterson set the tone early for the Vikings, scoring twice in the first 15 minutes of the match. Her opening goal came in the 8th minute off a precise assist from Hailey Mullaney, who would later add a goal of her own in the second half. Peterson followed up with an unassisted strike in the 15th minute, giving Union Catholic a quick 2–0 lead.
Brearley showed signs of life late in the first period when Alexa Rivera broke through the Viking defense in the 34th minute, cutting the deficit to 2–1 heading into halftime.
But Union Catholic took full control after the break.
Sienna Parker tallied her first goal in the 62nd minute and struck again just six minutes later, extending the lead to 5–1. Mullaney added her own goal in the 65th minute, and Ziema Zikas capped off the scoring in the 74th minute, assisted by Isabella Castaneda.
The Vikings outshot Brearley 23–10, keeping Brearley goalkeeper Shannon Simon under pressure throughout the match. Simon finished with 14 saves in a valiant effort.
Rylee Curtis made nine saves in net for Union Catholic, anchoring a defense that kept Brearley's attack at bay for most of the contest.
