Flintridge Prep girls’ soccer registers surprisingly dominant win over Pasadena Poly
LA CAÑADA — Flintridge Prep girls’ soccer Coach Esteban Chavez doesn’t have to explain the scenarios involved in winning a Prep League championship to his players.
“Oh, I don’t have to tell them anything, they all already know,” Chavez said. “They know what it is going to take for us to win the league and that’s something that they’re focused on. That’s something I don’t have to explain to them.”
The Rebels are keenly aware that they are on the doorstep of capturing a share of their second straight league title or winning their first outright crown in five seasons.
Flintridge Prep put itself in that position by turning in a dominant 4-0 victory Tuesday afternoon against last season’s co-league titlist Pasadena Poly.
The win avenged a 2-0 loss by the Rebels to their rival Jan. 14.
In a Prep League allotment that awards two points for a win and one point for a loss, the Rebels (17-3-3, 6-1-1) sit in first place with 13 points with two matches to play. The Panthers (13-5-3, 4-3) are in second place with eight points with three contests remaining.
The Rebels take on Mayfield at 6 p.m. Friday at home. A win would give Flintridge Prep its first outright championship since the 2011-12 season and a tie would give it a share of the crown. The Rebels finish up the regular season Monday on the road against Firebaugh.
“That’s what we’ve all be striving for, to win a league title,” said Rebels sophomore forward Helen Schaefer, whose team defeated Mayfield earlier in the season, 5-0. “Our focus is to always win the league and that is something that we work very hard on accomplishing.”
On a team that started just one senior Tuesday, Schaefer played a big part in the victory, tallying two second-half goals to go along with an assist. Sophomore Julia Gonzalez, the reigning All-Area Girls’ Soccer Player of the Year, assisted on both of Schaefer’s goals.
But it was the Rebels defense that made things toughest on the Panthers.
In addition to goalkeeper Lindsey Uteda (seven saves), the Flintridge Prep defense and midfield, bolstered by senior Jillian Brady, junior Dima Bazzi, sophomores Arielle Guzman, Mikaela Celeste and Caitlin Fong and freshman Natalie Brown, kept the Panthers in check.
“I think that Poly was hoping for us to make mistakes, which is fine. Everybody plays a different style,” Chavez said. “But we had to be really good in the back.
“Our defense was really a question mark for us this season, because we have just one starter back from last year in the back. But this is one of the best defensive efforts this season in Flintridge Prep history. Our goals-against is very low and we have only given up five goals in league.”
The match was scoreless late in the first half with the Rebels coming up with more scoring chances. Flintridge Prep was able to break the deadlock in the final minute. Schaefer worked the ball in deep on the left side and made a cross to junior Mona Cesario, who put it past the keeper for a 1-0 lead.
The Rebels added to their advantage 16 minutes into the second half when Brown scored on an assist from Cesario.
Schaefer then struck with scores in the 78th and 79th minutes to put the match out of reach.
Pasadena Poly’s best chance to score came in the 72nd minute. Uteda came off of her line to stop a shot, but the ball got past her and rolled toward an open net. Cesario was there to kick it away and save what would have been a sure goal.
