Another shutout pushes Flintridge Prep girls’ soccer into CIF semifinals

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Flintridge Prep’s Mikaela Celeste, middle, smiles as she is surrounded by teammates after scoring the second goal of the game against Oak Hills in a CIF Southern Section quarterfinal girls’ soccer game at Flintridge Prep on Friday, February 24, 2017. Flintridge Prep won the game 3-0. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Flintridge Prep’s Helen Schaefer and Oak Hills’ Andrea Nugent collide heads when going for a header, which took Schaefer out of the game momentarily with concussion concerns, in a CIF Southern Section quarterfinal girls’ soccer game at Flintridge Prep on Friday, February 24, 2017. Flintridge Prep won the game 3-0. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Flintridge Prep’s Natalie Brown heads the ball over Oak Hills’ Amya Lawson Kitchen in a CIF Southern Section quarterfinal girls’ soccer game at Flintridge Prep on Friday, February 24, 2017. Flintridge Prep won the game 3-0. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Flintridge Prep’s Helen Schaefer gleefully runs by Oak Hills’ Andrea Nugent after scoring the games third goal in a CIF Southern Section quarterfinal girls’ soccer game at Flintridge Prep on Friday, February 24, 2017. Flintridge Prep won the game 3-0. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Flintridge Prep’s Helen Schaefer gets her head on the ball on a corner kick by Oak Hills in a CIF Southern Section quarterfinal girls’ soccer game at Flintridge Prep on Friday, February 24, 2017. Flintridge Prep won the game 3-0. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Flintridge Prep’s Julia Gonzalez gets free and takes a shot against Oak Hills in a CIF Southern Section quarterfinal girls’ soccer game at Flintridge Prep on Friday, February 24, 2017. Flintridge Prep won the game 3-0. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Flintridge Prep’s Arielle Guzman gets a head on the ball over Oak Hills’ Tupou Suliafu in a CIF Southern Section quarterfinal girls’ soccer game at Flintridge Prep on Friday, February 24, 2017. Flintridge Prep won the game 3-0. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Flintridge Prep’s Mikaela Celeste battles with Oak Hills’ lizette Lopez in a CIF Southern Section quarterfinal girls’ soccer game at Flintridge Prep on Friday, February 24, 2017. Flintridge Prep won the game 3-0. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Flintridge Prep’s Caitlyn Fong chest traps the ball over Oak Hills’ Jasmine Pena in a CIF Southern Section quarterfinal girls’ soccer game at Flintridge Prep on Friday, February 24, 2017. Flintridge Prep won the game 3-0. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Flintridge Prep’s Jenna Mijares heads the ball over Oak Hills in a CIF Southern Section quarterfinal girls’ soccer game at Flintridge Prep on Friday, February 24, 2017. Flintridge Prep won the game 3-0. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Flintridge Prep’s goalie Lindsey Uteda jumps to make a save of a shot by Oak Hills in a CIF Southern Section quarterfinal girls’ soccer game at Flintridge Prep on Friday, February 24, 2017. Flintridge Prep won the game 3-0. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Flintridge Prep’s Dima Bazzi heads the ball against Oak Hills in a CIF Southern Section quarterfinal girls’ soccer game at Flintridge Prep on Friday, February 24, 2017. Flintridge Prep won the game 3-0. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Flintridge Prep’s Helen Schaefer is hugged by Mikaela Celeste after scoring a goal against Oak Hills in a CIF Southern Section quarterfinal girls’ soccer game at Flintridge Prep on Friday, February 24, 2017. Flintridge Prep won the game 3-0. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Flintridge Prep’s Helen Schaefer and Oak Hiils’ Andrea Nugent battle in front of the Oak Hills goal for the ball in a CIF Southern Section quarterfinal girls’ soccer game at Flintridge Prep on Friday, February 24, 2017. Flintridge Prep won the game 3-0. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Flintridge Prep’s Julia Gonzalez advances the ball on a solo attack of Oak Hills in a CIF Southern Section quarterfinal girls’ soccer game at Flintridge Prep on Friday, February 24, 2017. Flintridge Prep won the game 3-0. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Flintridge Prep’s Mikaela Celeste gets a shot off with Oak Hills’ Iizette Lopez in pursuit in a CIF Southern Section quarterfinal girls’ soccer game at Flintridge Prep on Friday, February 24, 2017. Flintridge Prep won the game 3-0. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

By Andrew J. CampaStaff Writer

Feb. 24, 2017 6:12 PM PT

LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE —

Though it’s been difficult to ignore the tremendous offensive run the Flintridge Prep girls’ soccer team has been on, coach Esteban Chavez wanted to highlight what has been an outstanding, if not unheralded defense.

The No. 6-ranked Rebels continued their defensive mastery in Friday afternoon’s quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Division III playoffs, as Flintridge Prep posted its eighth consecutive shutout victory in a 3-0 quarterfinal win over Hesperia Oak Hills.

Friday’s triumph vaulted the Prep League champion Rebels into the semifinals for the first time since the 2001-2002 season.

Flintridge Prep (22-3-3) will host second-seeded Pioneer League champion South Torrance (19-1-2) on Tuesday at 3 p.m. The game is slated to be played on campus, though rain may change those plans.

Since a 2-0 loss to archrival Pasadena Poly on Jan. 14, Flintridge Prep has won eighth straight contests and has outscored its competition, 46-0, with Friday’s victory coming by the smallest margin through this run.

“I keep on saying this and nobody puts it in the paper, but this is the best defense that Flintridge Prep girls’ soccer has ever had,” Chavez said. “We returned zero starters [on the defense]. Those girls were here already and I didn’t use them last year. They just got a lot better and that’s just a fact.”

Mojave River League runner-up Oak Hills (24-3-2) out shot Flintridge Prep, 20-11, and forced Rebels junior goalie Lindsey Uteda to make 11 saves.

Yet, the majority of those attempts came from a sizable distance and required minimal effort from Uteda outside of catching direct shots.

On the flip side, Flintridge Prep found ways to maximize its speed despite on its small field.

Rebels sophomore forward Helen Schaefer led the offensive attack with two goals and one assist, while fellow sophomore Mikaela Celeste added one goal and one assist and junior striker Julia Gonzalez chipped in an assist.

Schaefer’s effort was impressive given she entered the match with a strained hamstring and was momentarily knocked out of the contest in the 29th minute after a head-to-head collision with Oak Hills’ Andrea Nugent.

“I’m good, just a little beat up, but I have a few days to recover,” Schaefer said. “Size-wise, we’re a pretty small team compared to San Marcos [in the second round] and Oak Hills, but we just use our athleticism, speed and combinations and we know what to expect coming in.”

Schaeffer showed some grit when she returned to the contest shortly after getting hit in the head and helped put her team ahead, 2-0, thanks to one of those combinations with Celeste.

Schaeffer fed Celeste inside the box on a give-and-go in the 38th minute and Celeste scored from 15 yards to put the home team up two goals heading into halftime.

“Helen does that all time and I’m lucky to have two forwards like Helen and Julia that move for me,” Celeste said. “It’s really nice when Helen puts the ball through, because I see when she puts it in a slot and then it’s easy to put away a goal.”

Celeste returned the favor with a through ball to Schaeffer in the 67th minute that Schaeffer buried for a six-yard goal that gave the Rebels a 3-0 lead.

Flintridge Prep’s first score took place in the 20th minute when Gonzalez passed to Schaeffer, who calmly flicked a 24-yard goal far post to put the Rebels ahead, 1-0.

“This was a good challenge for us because this was a congested field and we took on a very physical, strong team,” Chavez said. “We weathered that by using our technique and soccer IQ to get by them and we got another shutout, which is nice.”