Rocha hat trick leads Burbank girls’ soccer to first win
BURBANK — Not only was the Burbank High girls’ soccer team looking for its first win of the season, but also its first goal when it took on Eagle Rock on Thursday afternoon.
With the help of Jessica Rocha, the Bulldogs accomplished both firsts.
The junior scored her third goal of the contest in the final minute of the nonleague match to lift Burbank to a 3-2 victory against the visiting Eagles.
“It feels great,” Rocha said. “We just needed to push through in this game. Anything that happened, we knew we just needed to keep pushing through and to keep trying.
“We lost some games, but we knew we had to come back stronger for this one. We have been practicing every day to try and get better.”
Burbank (1-5) had lost its first five matches to begin the season, including two in the Pacific League. In the five contests, the Bulldogs were outscored, 30-0.
“We have had some challenges to face in our first few games,” Burbank first-year coach Pablo Diaz said. “But the girls came out today and they played, and you could see that from the very beginning.
“It’s nice to be able to celebrate a win. This is going to do a lot for our confidence and we really needed this.”
The Bulldogs saw a 2-0 lead midway through the second half evaporate when Eagle Rock (2-3) scored consecutive goals to tie the match at the 75-minute mark.
Burbank was able to respond and get a win in dramatic fashion.
Freshman Tatiana Castaneda took a corner kick from the left side and directed the ball to the far post. Rocha was there to receive the offering and, with an Eagles defender on her hip, turned and while falling directed a shot on net that beat the goalkeeper high and to her right.
“When I saw that ball coming, I thought that this is my ball, this is my chance and I’m going to take it,” Rocha said. “You just have to throw your body out there and hope for the best, and that’s what I did.”
The Bulldogs dominated the first half but had only one goal to show for it after the first 40 minutes. Burbank tallied its first goal of the season in the 21st minute when freshman Liliana Partida directed a shot that dribbled to the goal line where Rocha was able to tap it in.
Eagle Rock was able to stay in the game in the first half largely because of the play of its goalkeeper Laura Casillas, who had nine saves in the half.
In the second half, a goal by Rocha on an assist from junior Maria Parez in the 60th minute put the Bulldogs ahead, 2-0.
The Eagles received a goal from Madeline Columna in the 48th minute and Mackenzie Westman in the 75th minute to knot the score at 2.
“We are going to get better, it’s just a process to get to where we want to be,” Diaz said. “We just have to trust that process. Hopefully we will be able to build on what we were able to do today.”
Twitter: @jefftsports
