Flintridge Sacred Heart soccer shocked by Valencia in first round
LOS ANGELES – Little more than 10 minutes looked to be all that separated the Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy soccer team from playoff triumph.
Instead, the 10-minute mark was when it all began to crumble.
Senior Alexa Trujillo scored a pair of goals to tie it before junior Taryn Cunningham scored the match-winner with little more than a minute to play as Valencia Valencia rallied from a two-goal deficit with 10 minutes to play to conclude the season of Flintridge Sacred Heart, which fell, 3-2, in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division II playoffs on Thursday afternoon at Occidental College.
“We thought we had it taken care of and we didn’t,” Tologs coach Mark Snashall said.
Looking for its first postseason win since 2011, Flintridge Sacred Heart (10-4-5), which was on the heels of winning its first Mission League title since that same season, instead bitterly saw its playoff losing streak extend to six straight matches.
Overlooked in the heartbreak of the loss was a stellar effort from Marissa Venneri. Venneri staked the Tologs to a 2-0 lead over Valencia (11-6-6) with a first-half tally off an assist from Hillary Howard in the 32nd minute and the final score of Flintridge Sacred Heart’s season in the 56th minute off an assist from Amethyst Trang.
But a stunning goal from Trujillo in the 70th minute opened the floodgates.
“It was crazy,” Valencia coach Kevin Goralsky said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen something like this with the momentum changing so quickly.”
Trujillo’s initial score came on a floating header that looked innocent enough, but was mishandled by the goalie and put the score at 2-1.
Eight minutes later, Trujillo tallied the equalizer and the Vikings, who had previously seemed to be playing with their heads down, had all the momentum, while the Tologs were suddenly stunned.
Less than a minute later, Valencia senior Autumn More streaked down the Tologs’ sideline before putting her foot to a perfect cross that found a wide-open Cunningham, who tapped in the game-winner.
Not long after, the final whistle blew and the Vikings erupted in celebration while the Tologs, many of them in tears, ended their season.
Valencia came out pushing the pace and had plenty of chances early, but the Tologs weathered the storm and began to maintain possession, found their passes and got better organized on the defensive end.
Tologs goalie Natalie Slim had four saves in the first half as the Tologs took a 1-0 lead into halftime.
Not long after Venneri’s second goal, Tologs second-half goalie Joshlyn Aguirre, who had two saves, made a huge point-blank stop on a shot by senior Gracell Magnaye. Still, the Vikings’ chances were few and far between until Trujillo broke through with her knuckleball of a header.
Following Cunningham’s score, Trang had one final shot for the Tologs that went over the crossbar.
Trang, an All-Area standout, Fiona Stayton and Lauren Bolte all played well in the loss, which concluded a huge turnaround season for the Tologs.
Having not made the playoffs last season, Flintridge Sacred Heart seemed poised to collect its first postseason win since 2011 in the Division III Southern California Regional semifinal against St. Margaret’s, 3-0. The Tologs haven’t won a Southern Section playoff game since winning the 2011 Southern Section Division I championship against San Clemente.
Nevertheless, Venneri’s first goal broke a string of three straight playoff shutout losses for the Tologs, whose last goal had been scored by Laura Thompson in a 3-2 first-round loss to Capistrano Valley in 2012.
“It was a great season. To win league was brilliant,” Snashall said. “It’s pretty sad [to lose]. Hopefully they’ll learn from it. It’s just sad for the seniors.”
Twitter: @TCNGrantGordon
