10:00pm | The Moore League girls’ soccer schedule was put on hold last week with the rain. They resumed the original slate of games yesterday afternoon in more rain, with Poly and Lakewood getting big wins and Millikan and Cabrillo tying, 1-1.
MILLIKAN 1 CABRILLO 1
The Rams and Jaguars got going quickly on the west side, but in the end they were both looking for positives after a 1-1 tie. The two schools are still jockeying for that fourth and final playoff spot, and the tie keeps Cabrillo mathematically alive with a 1-4-1 record. Millikan moves to 3-1-2.
Cabrillo got on the board first in the third minute of play on a beautiful thru ball from Nicole Donis to Malina Ramos. The fastest player for the Jaguars took advantage of a defensive misplay and buried it for the 1-0 lead.
Millikan answered quickly in the 13th minute off a corner kick as Kelly Johnson put in the header to even it up. Unfortunately, the talented sophomore was one of a few players to go down with injury and the final 65 minutes of the contest were a battle in offensive futility. Cabrillo got two chances late but couldn’t capitalize, and Millikan only amassed three more shots on goal after Johnson’s header.
“We knew they were going to come out and play hard because it was life or death playoff wise,” said Millikan coach Dave Christiansen, who is waiting for a report on Johnson’s injury–feared to be an ACL. “It was an ugly, sloppy, messy game on that field, but that’s not to take anything away from them. They played hard and physical.”
That’s something new for the Jags, but head coach Jorge Polanco has been working his girls to this point all year– everything from cutting players to moving the home field sideline in more than five yards to force the physical play. “I’m happy with (the players I have) now and they’re learning about what it takes to win in this league.”
The lesson might be a few games too late, but Cabrillo does have two games that still need to be made up because of the inclement weather. They face Lakewood on Saturday, Wilson next Tuesday and Poly next Thursday. If the Jags want to make a true run at the playoff spot they’ll need at least one upset.
Millikan is getting ready for a huge rescheduled game of their own, a Monday date with undefeated Wilson.
LAKEWOOD 9 COMPTON 0
Soccer is a game of symmetry, and Kassidy Hause and Kendahl Fisher got the Lancer offense back on track on Tuesday with a 9-0 win after back-to-back losses by a combined score of 9-0.
“It was nice to get our confidence back,” said Lakewood head coach Scott Manson. “We were feeling a little beat up after the Wilson and Poly matches.”
Asked how the field conditions were on yet another rainy day, Manson spoke frankly, “We played almost the entire preseason on field turf… almost every other district has figured out a way to afford it, and we don’t… after football these fields are pretty beat up, it makes it very hard to play attractive soccer.”
Lakewood will have to work on another wet pitch on Thursday against Millikan. The last time the Rams and Lancers met, Lakewood jumped out to a quick lead with inspired play. They were undefeated in league at that point. “Here’s a game that can help us get back to where we were.”
POLY 8 JORDAN 0
The Jackrabbits got two goals each from Ari Fernandez, Emily Strombom and Janelle Stribling on their way to a blowout victory on another soggy Moore League pitch. Megan Brock and Celeste Dominguez added a goal a piece and it’s just another shutout victory for the goalie combination of Celeste Moncure and Corrin Villasenor, or ” C Squared” if you will.
Poly is in action next on Thursday in our Moore League Girls’ Soccer Game of the Week as they visit first place Wilson. We all got a classic tie in the first clash, and we’re expecting more of the same in the rematch. Come back to LBPostSports for all the coverage!