Burroughs girls’ soccer finds offense late in 4-0 win over Hoover

GLENDALE — With one team coming off a blowout victory and the other trying to overcome a big loss, expectations varied for the Burroughs High and Hoover girls’ soccer squads before Friday afternoon’s Pacific League meeting.

Though the Indians suffered through frustrating moments, they still got their offense going in the second half and defeated the Tornadoes, 4-0.

The win improved Burroughs to 4-0 and 2-0 in league as the squad opened the league campaign with a 10-0 road victory versus Muir on Wednesday.

“We just kept going and plugging away and didn’t lose belief that what we were doing would eventually work,” Burroughs Coach Brady Riggs said. “Sometimes you have to knock on the door a lot before you get an answer.”

Burroughs out shot Hoover, 29-2, with the onslaught more profound in the second half, as that tally was 21-1. Those numbers came after the Tornadoes dropped their league opener, 7-0, to Crescenta Valley at home on Wednesday.

Yet, for all those stats, a Hoover (1-2, 0-2 in league) team in flux and trying to find its identity, still managed to keep the game at 1-0 past 60 minutes.

Burroughs eventually broke a more-than 40-minute drought when a cross in the penalty area from UC Irvine-bound senior Maddie Riggs was one-timed for a 10-yard goal from sophomore Tatiana Mosdale in the 62nd minute, which gave the Indians a 2-0 lead.

“It felt really good to get that goal because we needed to get a bigger lead,” said Mosdale, who finished with two goals.

Five minutes later, Mosdale put the match away when the striker buried a through ball from senior Bella Nava for a goal from 10 yards that gave the Indians a 3-0 advantage.

Burroughs capped its day in the 79th minute when freshman forward Olivia Cashman scored off an assist from sophomore Abbie Riggs to clinch the final 4-0 tally.

Prior to the 62nd minute, Burroughs struggled to convert its many opportunities.

Indians senior Mireya Gonzalez represented some of that frustration when the halfback ripped a 22-yard shot past Tornadoes goalie Jazmine Martinez, but off the crossbar and back into play.

Gonzalez’ blast was one of four attempts by Indians players that clanked off the post or cross.

A fair amount of credit, though, belonged to Hoover’s defense and coach Sarah Strange, who took the team’s top player and best offensive threat, senior forward Remi Miller, and started her at sweeper.

While the move came at the expense of Hoover’s offense, the Indians struggled to finish, particularly in the first half with Miller in the back row and junior Melanie Palermo in goal.

Burroughs did score in the 20th minute on a goal from Maddie Riggs off an assist from Larissa Perez.

Palermo kept the score at 1-0 with a spectacular save on a shot from freshman forward Trinity Vournas in the 30th minute.

Palermo finished with three saves, while Martinez, who was under siege for most of the second half, finished with 11 saves.

“This should be the point in the season where we’re experimenting and trying to figure things out. We’re still at that point, but we’re forced to play league games,” Strange said. “I think this will be a much better team in January, so we’re still holding out hope.”

Perhaps Martinez’ best save was a one-handed stop in the 60th minute off a shot from Gonzalez.

Still down, 1-0, Strange switched up her defense and moved Miller forward, while swapping out a defender for an attacker. Though the move didn’t work out as planned, Strange wasn’t concerned with the final score.

“I made the switch because I was going for the win,” Strange said. “My girls are not used to being in contention with Burroughs and I think we were. We pushed up the extra forward and that opened the center and gave them an opportunity.

“So, if you lose 1-0 or 4-0, it doesn’t matter, you still lose.”