Ataya hat trick highlights Crescenta Valley girls’ soccer rout of Burbank
BURBANK — There’s a bit of a youth movement taking place on the Crescenta Valley High girls’ soccer team.
Youth paved the way for Crescenta Valley, which got three goals from freshman forward Chloe Ataya and two from freshman Dana Ryan en route to an 8-0 road win against Burbank on Friday in the Pacific League opener for both teams.
Crescenta Valley (1-1-1) got three goals in a 12-minute span in the first half to pull away from Burbank (0-3).
“It’s exciting when you have some youth like we have,” said Crescenta Valley coach Tyraysha Peterson, whose team took second in league and qualified for the playoffs last season. “They bring a lot of energy and enthusiasm and they come ready to play.
“That’s what Chloe did today getting the three goals. You’re always grateful for offense, especially since we’ve been more of a defensive team that last few seasons.”
Ryan opened the scoring on a breakaway in the 17th minute. The Falcons made it 2-0 on a goal by Ataya in the 21st minute. Crescenta Valley closed out the first-half scoring in the 29th minute on a goal by Ryan.
Ataya and the Falcons went to work early in the second half to pull away even further from the young Bulldogs, who took fourth in league and advanced to the postseason last season.
Ataya made it 4-0 in the 41st minute and completed the hat trick on a header off a corner kick from Kathryn Thamasian about 12 minutes later.
“It’s really good to start off league with a win and I had some things go my way,” Ataya said. “I got into some open spaces and we did a real good job winning battles and getting through balls [to set up scoring opportunities].”
Crescenta Valley extended the lead to 6-0 on a goal by Nicole Yim in the 60th minute and made it 7-0 in the 64th minute on a tally by Alaina Turstenberg.
The Falcons closed out the scoring on a goal by Sarah Gabon in the 73rd minute.
“We have some new players and we’re still learning some things,” Peterson said. “With Burbank, we know they’ve always given us a fight. We’ve had some battles with them here.”
Burbank’s best scoring chance came in the 36th minute. A 35-yard direct kick by Maria Perez was swatted away by Crescenta Valley goalkeeper Grace Zaragoza.
Burbank first-year coach Pablo Diaz said the Bulldogs are rebuilding and learning to adjust to his style of play.
“It’s just about taking steps in the right direction,” Diaz said. “We had a tough day and it was frustrating, but we are looking to turn the frustration into a positive.
“We’ll talk about the game and get some more feedback. We’ll also get in some more practices.”
Twitter: @TCNCharlesRich
