Andersen girls golden again in 5-6 Gold Division final

When it comes to Daily Pilot Cup finals, one might say this class of sixth-grade girls from Andersen Elementary is all “ore” nothing.

The Dolphins are 2-0 in Gold Division finals, including Sunday’s 1-0 triumph over Kaiser in the fifth- and sixth-grade title game at Costa Mesa High.

But in two trips to the Silver Division championship game, the team coached all four years by Sean Corcoran and Nate Olson, settled for, well, silver.

There was no settling on Sunday, however, as the Dolphins scored in the 12^th minute and finished off their fifth shutout in five tournament games to reign supreme.

Andersen outscored opponents 12-0 in the tournament, though its title-game victory was anything but dominant.

“It was a heck of a game,” said Corcoran, whose team posted a 6-5 advantage in shots, but was outshot 4-2 after halftime. “Give Kaiser all the accolades. [The Knights] were fantastic. They played tough, they have great players and they gave us our toughest game, hands down.”

This one came down to one golden opportunity for Andersen’s Ava Frederickson, who poked in an assist from Riley Garbutt while perched at the doorstep to give the defensively dominant Dolphins all they would need.

“We knew if we could get one goal, with our defense, [the opponent] would have to get a really good opportunity [to score],” Corcoran said. “We didn’t give up a goal the entire tournament and last year, we only gave up one.”

Andersen goalie Reese Olson made just one save, but consistently sprinted off her line to gain possession against attacking Knights.

The back line of Morgan Corcoran, Millie Clark, Paige Phillips and Izzy Garza proved impenetrable, despite a crop of determined and talented Kaiser attackers.

Antonella Russo, Emma Garrido and Camryn Netzer were consistent threats who darted about the large stadium football field with skill and zeal.

Garrido and Russell both had two goals in a 6-0 semifinal win against Harbor Day earlier Sunday to help Kaiser post a 12-5 scoring advantage while going 3-1-1 in the tournament.

“I think it’s pretty clear that we more than matched the opposition today,” Kaiser coach Chris Hardy said. “We tried to play into wide areas, but unfortunately, it came down to one situation and we were just unlucky.”

Brea Sofferman, Frederickson, Garbutt, Megan Schaffer and Katy Nichol kept pressure on a Kaiser defense that was anchored by goalkeeper Kylie Trigo.

Trigo’s four saves included one diving stop of a Sofferman offering, as well as another sterling stop from close range.

Kaiser’s late surge included direct kicks from between the football hash marks a few yards outside the 18-yard box. But all three shots sailed high.

“They had a couple direct kicks, but our girls made a wall and they were disciplined,” Sean Corcoran said. “I think we got a little bit of luck on our side.”

Lorelei Duarte, Charlie Murray, Taylor Stephenson, Hannah Hykes and Rachel Ward helped Andersen be as good as it was lucky.

The Dolphins topped Mariners 2-0 in their semifinal on Sunday.

“In the end, I’m really proud of these girls,” Sean Corcoran said. “Nate and I have coached them for four years. We made the final four times and won it twice [including a 4-0 third- and fourth-grade Gold Division final victory over Our Lady Queen of Angels in 2015]. And we walk away on top and that’s huge.”

Andersen lost on penalty kicks in the 2016 Silver Division final against Killybrooke, after both teams were scoreless in regulation.

In 2014, Andersen dropped a 1-0 verdict in the Silver Division final.

Kaiser figures to be a threat in next year’s fifth- and sixth-grade Gold Division, as eight of its 13 players are fifth-graders.

In addition to Garrido and Netzer, additional fifth-graders for Kaiser are Trigo, Julie Richardson, Bella Chenier (who had a goal in the semifinal), Lucy Toohey, Baylei Ogletree and Vanessa Archuletta.

Kaiser sixth-graders also responsible for this year’s strong run are Brooke Thomassen, Delany Gahm, Julie Salinas and Ximena Monroy.

barry.faulkner@latimes.com

Twitter: @BarryFaulkner5