The soggy pitch at Wilson High looked tilted for most of the CIFSS Playoff Wild Card match up between the Bruins and visiting Chaparral Pumas on Tuesday afternoon. After a tumultuous week, Wilson controlled possession, and the game, on its way to a 3-0 victory that officially stamped the ticket into the CIFSS field of 32.
LBPostSports.com first reported on Sunday that due to a player illegally participating in an outside league during the season, Wilson self imposed the forfeiture of four league matches. The losses dropped the Bruins to the Moore League four seed, and forcing them to play their way into the CIFSS Playoffs first round.
“No matter what, the girls came in excited for the playoffs,” said coach Jason Kirkwood after the win. “You got to beat the best to be the best, and if we’re good enough to get that far, we’re going to have to beat the best every round.”
#4 Dillon
Wilson came out in the early minutes and reassured Chaparral that it was playing a wild card game against one of the best teams in the southland. The Bruins pummeled the Pumas back line with relentless pressure and multiple chances. Wilson used precision passing and physical dominance to rack up 12 shots to Chaparral’s one in the first half.
#7 Hellmann, #20 Marshall and #25 Vaughn
In the early going, Bruins Kim Albeno, Kristyn Benavidez, Emily Dillon, Kaitlin Hellmann and Kim Marshall were inside the Puma 18-yard box more than the Chaparral defenders. Hellmann nearly found Albeno on the far post in the second minute, and Dillon sent a corner to defender Brittny Vaughn in the seventh minute that the junior headed just over the crossbar.
In the 15th minute, Chaparral got a little momentum going and kept it in the Wilson zone for a few minutes, but no quality chances came of it. The Bruins came back and continued their assault on the Puma defense, but senior goaltender Erin Gilmour played an incredible game and came up with stop after stop to keep it scoreless for 24 minutes.
In the 25th minute, the Bruins broke through when Vaughn got a second chance at heading in a Dillon corner, and this time she made it count. Gilmour got a hand on the redirect, but it went into the side netting for the 1-0 Wilson lead.
After half, Puma forwards Andrea Hill and Kristen Powers forced goalie Breegan Saller and her defense to play a little, but a Chaparral foul awoke the Bruins offense again.
In the 48th minute, Marshall and Puma defender Allison Taylor got tangled up and went to ground. Taylor flailed—trying to draw a foul—and “inadvertently” kicked Marshall in the face. A yellow card was given, and instead of going after Taylor, Marshall got back at the Pumas on the scoreboard.
After she wiped the mud and blood off her face, Marshall fed a beautiful lead ball to Hellmann who was making a run on the near side. Hellmann made two touches to loose the trailing defender, and beat Gilmour low to the far post for the 2-0 lead.
“Kim is a stud,” said Kirkwood of his sophomore midfielder. “What a warrior… I have to pull her off the field with a pole. She’s the center of the team.”
The Wilson attack fed off Marshall, and Hellmann found Albeno in the 68th minute for the final goal of the afternoon.
With the win, the Bruins advance to the first round where they will face Los Osos on the road Thursday afternoon. Wilson and Osos have played each other a lot over the past few years, and each game has been “a battle” according to Kirkwood.
#10 Albeno
#2 Benavidez
J-Pa
Come back to LBPostSports on Friday morning for full coverage of all the Moore League Girls’ Soccer CIF Matches!