Crescenta Valley girls’ soccer blanks Glendale

From a possession and shots standpoint, the Crescenta Valley High girls’ soccer team dominated against upstart Glendale.

The Nitros and, in particular, goalkeeper Yulissa Macias did enough to keep things closer than the Falcons would have liked, however.

Nonetheless, it was Crescenta Valley that emerged with a 2-0 Pacific League victory Friday afternoon at Crescenta Valley High.

“We did dominate, but I feel like we could have done better,” said Falcons sophomore Brianna McReynolds, who played a foot in both of her team’s goals, scoring the second in the 24th minute. “I feel like we could’ve put away more opportunities.”

Crescenta Valley (3-1, 2-0 in league) scored a pair of first-half goals and out shot Glendale (3-2, 1-1) by a 20-2 margin, as the Falcons had opportunity after opportunity, but came up short.

“A win is always a good win, especially in league,” Crescenta Valley Coach Tyrashya Peterson said. “It’s still just our fourth game, so we’re tweaking, we’re working out details.”

Falcons junior Nicole Yim scored the Falcons’ first tally, while McReynolds produced the final score off an assist from senior captain Sierra Lindman Marshall.

For the Nitros, who were three days removed from a 2-0 win over Burbank in one of the program’s most significant wins in years, Macias played aggressively, made nine saves and cut off myriad corner kicks and crosses to keep the match from getting out of hand.

“Their keeper had a great game, I thought,” said Peterson, who added that she just wanted to see more anticipation and faster play from her team.

Glendale Coach Victor Aquino wanted much of the same, as he felt his team came out tentatively.

“We just didn’t come out with the right mindset,” Aquino said.

Aquino’s squad was once again without three starters, just as it had been against Burbank and for much of the season thus far.

“I think it just caught up to them,” he said. “Besides that, CV’s just a good team. We knew what we were getting into.”

At the onset, both teams were rather tentative, but shots began to come for the Falcons, who thoroughly dominated possession and run of play with the only exceptions coming early in the match with a few Glendale runs and in the match’s final five minutes.

The Falcons scored on their sixth shot of the match when McReynolds played a ball up to Yim, who got a touch on goal, but it was stopped by Macias. Yim banged in a second-chance shot for a 1-0 lead in the 19th minute, however.

“I was able to slip it through two defenders to Nicole Yim and she was able to put it away,” McReynolds said.

Crescenta Valley’s next shot came five minutes later when Lindman Marshall carried it up the left side, passed it right to McReynolds who then went far post high from roughly 15 yards out for the final score of the match.

McReynolds, Lindman Marshall, junior Alaina Furstenberg, senior Nikki Collins and a host of other Falcons all played key roles in keeping the ball firmly entrenched in Crescenta Valley’s attacking third with plenty of chances.

Perhaps nobody had a more frustrating day than senior Mara Niesyt, who seemed to be in the right place at the right time, hustling away, but on no less than three occasions had would-be scores stopped by Macias or roll wide of the frame.

With roughly five minutes remaining, Glendale tallied its first shot when sophomore Elaina Escobar dropped a free kick on frame that was caught for a save by Falcons senior goalie Sydney Scholler.

Prior to that, Glendale’s best chance had been a partial breakaway by sophomore Taylor Puno, but an aggressive Scholler charged out and smothered the ball and toppled Taylor.

Nonetheless, two games into the league season, Aquino finds himself as pleased as he’s ever been at this juncture with a win over Burbank and an admirable effort against Crescenta Valley.

“Especially since we’re missing three starters,” he said. “Those are three big pieces.”

And Crescenta Valley finds itself undefeated in league and yet to have allowed a goal.

Scholler made the Falcons’ only save as she and Nicole Jabourian combined on the shutout.

Said Peterson: “It still was a good win.”