Girls’ Soccer: Edison stuns Los Al

LOS ALAMITOS — The Los Alamitos High girls’ soccer team might have come into Tuesday night’s Sunset League showdown against Edison armed with the top ranking in Orange County, CIF Southern Section Division 1 and the state of California by Maxpreps.com.

Edison had none of these No. 1 spots, but the Chargers had something as valuable that never wavered, even as the Griffins dominated possession and scoring opportunities.

Belief.

The lights turned off at the Griffins’ field at 8 p.m., just moments after Edison registered a stunning victory.

Junior Michael Guptill scored the golden goal in the first minute of the second overtime as the Chargers stunned the Griffins, 2-1, to widen their lead in the tough Sunset League halfway through league play.

Edison (12-4-1, 5-0 in league) is now one-and-a-half games up on both Los Alamitos and Huntington Beach. The Griffins and Oilers are both 3-1-1 in league.

Three of the Chargers’ five wins in league play have come via golden goal. Two of the golden goals have come off set pieces from senior Mikayla Edwards.

The latest one came after Edison earned a corner kick off the opening kickoff of the second 10-minute overtime. The ball went from Maddie Macias to Cassidy Helenihi, whose cross in front was deflected out of bounds.

Edwards came on to take a left-footed corner kick from the right side. The ball went to the near post, where it was batted down by the Los Alamitos goalie but the Griffins couldn’t clear. Guptill stick it in for the win.

Edwards, who scored the unassisted winning corner kick goal last year at Los Alamitos, came through again to give the Chargers a great opportunity.

“When we got the corner, I started shaking,” Edison Coach Kerry Crooks said. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh!’ We just needed a chance. Obviously, that team is amazing, a great, great team. Los Al is really, really good. But we kept believing. All you need is one opportunity. They can have as much possession as they want, but if we can execute on one play, that makes all the difference in the world.”

What made the difference was the Edison defense, led by senior keeper Zoe Clevely and her 11 saves and also featuring players like senior center defenders Taylor Wasserman and Emma Nichols, as well as Teagan Wasserman and Lexi Oates. They thwarted all of the Griffins’ scoring chances in the second half and overtime.

“Taylor and Emma are feisty,” Crooks said. “We go back and forth as far as what they should be doing, but they’re very strong-willed girls. It’s a good trait, I guess, if you’re a center defender.”

Edison actually took the early lead in the 13th minute. Edwards’ throw-in went to the feet of Helenihi, who sprinted up the left sideline before crossing in front to Rachelle Elve. The sophomore booted it in, her second big goal in three games as she also had the golden goal against Huntington Beach.

Los Alamitos, which had beaten Edison in the final to win the Aliso Cup last month and also won the Excalibur Tournament, evened the score in the 30th minute. Senior Ally LaCarra-Platt scored from 20 yards out, off a cross from Vanessa Millsaps.

The Griffins also had two goals called back in the first half, one on an offside call and one when the referee ruled the ball hit the arm of the forward before going into the goal.

The Chargers defense stayed steady in the second half, even as nearly the whole 40 minutes was played on the Edison side of the field. Los Alamitos’ best scoring chance came with moments remaining in regulation, when Clevely came out to challenge Ashley Soto at the top of the box.

Soto got past Clevely and had an open goal, but her shot was blocked by Nichols. A rebound attempt by Los Al’s Monique Ponce was just saved by Clevely, who had sprinted back to the goal and was able to deflect the ball off the crossbar.

Los Alamitos also dominated the first overtime, but in the end, the Chargers came up with another golden goal.

“We’ve been trying to play each moment,” Crooks said. “Obviously, Los Al had most of the possession. We decided to go out defensively in the overtimes and wait for our opportunity, and it worked out … We’ll play in overtime, we don’t give up. That’s just their character.”

Even against the top team in the state of California.

“[Golden goals] are definitely an awesome experience,” Guptill said. “Both teams are just going at it, and to finally be the team that just pushes through and puts it in is a great feeling.

“[Los Alamitos] put so much pressure on us the whole game, they have some great forwards. I know we were all exhausted, but we just really pushed through and really had to hold it together emotionally. I think that’s why we pulled through in the end.”

Edison plays at Marina on Thursday.