The Tuesday night Moore League girls’ soccer match between Poly and Millikan was a skipping song. Again and again the Jackrabbits would test the Millikan defense. Again and again the answer was no. And at the end of the night the soccer faithful at Millikan High were treated to that which is reserved for soccer: an exciting 0-0 tie.
Millikan cheered and Poly groaned when the final whistle blew as the Jackrabbits go to 2-0-2 in league after their second straight tie. The Rams are now 3-1-1. No one on the Millikan sideline could remember the last they’d beaten or tied Poly, and a passerby quipped, “the year didn’t start with 2, I’ll tell ya’ that.”
The Rams defense set the tempo and style for the match early with strong play behind the ball, and by the time the Jackrabbits got to adjusting, Millikan had the momentum it needed to earn the draw.
“We took a lesson from the Lakewood game,” said Millikan coach Dave Christensen of his team’s loss last week. “They were ready…we were surprised… we just tried to come out like that. Ready and with the will to win. I always tell the girls that winning isn’t everything, but having the will to win is. We made a decision as a team not to lay down.”
The first half played even and mostly at the midfield with good tough play and a shy whistle. Poly only had four shots to Millikan’s three and there were only five set pieces with three fouls and two Poly corners.
The Jackrabbits tallied more shots than the Rams in the second half as well (8-to-3) but the game was even more simple than the box score numbers. So, put simply, everything the Poly attack tried to do, the Millikan defense cleared out, literally. The pattern repeated again and again as sophomore Katelin Fricke led by example on the right side. Poly forward Jazmine Rhodes and midfielder Megan Brock continued to work to get the ball around the packed-in Ram defense, but almost every time, Fricke or Ashley Snyder or Jenelle Larios or Rebecca Tamayo was there to clear it out. Two of the best Poly chances came from the outside on a corner kick and a long volley from Rhodes that hit the cross bar. Even once Rhodes found someone making a run like freshman forward Ari Fernandez did in the 60th minute to get off a thunderous shot from about ten yards out, Millikan goalie Amanda Tuiloma was on her game. The senior was assertive calling to her defenders, strong with the ball out of the air, and came out to meet Fernandez in the 60th, diving to the right at the last second to smother the shot.
“You have to take your hat off to Millikan,” said Poly coach Teri Collins. “They had a game plan and they worked their tails off… my girls are not playing to win right now. They’re playing not to lose. I’m looking for some killer instinct…. that’s not to say we didn’t work hard. We worked to get our chances, but sometimes it doesn’t go in… sometimes soccer sucks.”
Also, sometime tempers flare in the heat of battle. With about two minutes remaining, Fricke and Rhodes got tangled up on the nearside in the Millikan zone. Both stood up quickly and started to push and shove each other’s faces. The other players converged quickly, but none quicker than forward Samantha Smith. The junior didn’t arrive on the scene with malice, but when she threw her hands near Fricke and Rhodes, Rhodes threw back and she left the field with a bloody mouth. Rhodes and Fricke left with scratches and a red card handed out from the referee who watched from about five yards away. Both coaches mentioned that more punishment for select players involved may come this week.
The two teams showed great sportsmanship, shaking hands and exiting the field together without incident, but it’s safe to say that this game will not be soon forgotten by either group.
Poly moves on to play Compton on Thursday while Millikan enjoys the bye