Another championship match beckons for Flintridge Prep girls’ soccer
GLENDALE — For the first time in a long time, the Flintridge Prep girls’ soccer team was anything but dominant.
The powerhouse offensive squad was held in check by a bigger and physically taxing Corona Centennial in Thursday afternoon’s CIF Southern California Regional Division III semifinal at the Glendale Sports Complex.
Yet, the Rebels showed just how versatile they can be, scoring early and holding on to a lead for more than 70 minutes in a historic 1-0 victory that advanced the squad to the program’s first SoCal Regional Final.
“I just loved the grit of our players, especially the younger ones,” Flintridge Prep coach Esteban Chavez said. “I thought we had the better of the opportunities and luckily one goal was enough. I mean, 1-0. When was the last time we did that? It was good enough today.”
Flintridge Prep’s victory is the 22nd in a row for the squad, which ties the CIF Southern Section Division III champion Rebels for sixth place with several other squads in Southern Section history.
With the triumph, Flintridge Prep advances to Saturday’s championship match against Academy of Our Lady of Peace or Garden Grove Pacifica, likely at St. Francis High at 6 p.m.
The Rebels are the first area team to advance to the SoCal Regional Finals since Flintridge Sacred Heart lost to Oaks Christian in the 2011 Division III championship. The Tologs captured the previous year’s Division III title. A Prep League team hasn’t won since Pasadena Poly in Division III in 2013.
While Flintridge Prep has bludgeoned teams in goals (38-4 in seven matches) and shots this postseason, the Rebels were held in check, as the normally high-flying offense tallied only 10 shots, versus allowing five.
Yet, all the squad needed was one goal, which came in the sixth minute.
Junior halfback Helen Schaefer delivered a wonderfully-placed through ball to junior midfielder Mika Celeste, who one-timed a 10-yard goal to give the Rebels a 1-0 advantage.
“I just turned and I knew that someone on our team would be there when I made that pass,” Schaefer said. “I saw that Mika got it and knew she’d finish because she’s a great finisher.”
The Rebels had other chances but came up short.
Flintridge Prep senior forward Julia Gonzalez rocketed a shot off Centennial’s goalie in the 39th minute, about 20 seconds before Gonzalez was tagged with a yellow card.
A 35-yard free kick from Celeste was stopped in the 42nd minute, while Caitlin Fong saw her shot on goal in the 55th minute denied.
Centennial’s two best looks were thwarted thanks to a pair of nudges from Rebels junior fullback Yasmeen White.
In the 26th minute, White successful hip-checked Centennial’s Isabel Rubio on a shot on goal from 15 yards that slowed the ball down enough for Rebels goalie Lindsey Uteda (three saves) to make a stop.
White also just tapped Centennial sophomore forward Deniah Wells enough in the 71st minute as the attacker’s shot sailed wide right.
“I learned my defensive philosophy from my father,” said White, daughter of Flintridge Prep football coach Russell White, an acclaimed high school running back at Crespi High. “If they can’t get into their groove , then they can’t score. We weren’t that comfortable out here, but my job was to make the other team even less comfortable.”
