Nothing will come easy
It’s a tight race to the finish in the Sunset League girls’ soccer circles.
League teams completed the first half of league competition Tuesday and Huntington Beach and Edison picked up key victories to stay in the thick of the title chase.
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•Huntington Beach scored a 2-0 win at Fountain Valley. Danielle Wright and Jenna Nighswonger scored, and Nighswonger and Darcy Weiser had assists. Goalies Adelaine Petermann (two) and Rachel Harris (three) combined for five saves.
With five games remaining, Huntington leads the Sunset pack with a 3-0-2 record. The Oilers, tied for the No. 10 spot in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 rankings, improved to 9-3-5 overall.
Edison went to Newport Harbor, trailed by a goal at halftime but regrouped to pull out a 2-1 overtime win over the Sailors. Amanda Erickson scored off an assist from Mikayla Edwards, and the Chargers got the win on a golden goal in overtime by Amy Feinstein which was assisted by Erickson.
The Chargers, No. 7 in CIF-SS Division 1, are 4-1 in league and 13-4-2 overall.
“The girls grinded out the win in OT after missing several opportunities in the game to put it out of reach,” Edison Coach Kerry Crooks said.
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•In the other Sunset game Tuesday, visiting Los Alamitos (3-1-1 league) blanked Marina, 2-0. The Vikings fell to 1-3-1 in league and 8-6-4 overall.
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•Ocean View ended the first round of Golden West League play in first place and went to 4-0-1 by shutting out visiting Loara Tuesday, 1-0. Micayla Shook scored with an assist going to Hannah Messina. Goalie Emma Malsy had five saves.
The Seahawks, No. 8 in CIF-SS Division 5, upped their overall record to 9-2-5.
“It wasn’t our best game we’ve had, and we were lucky to come out with the win,” Ocean View Coach Jose Sanchez said. “Loara had some clear chances that went wide. Defensively, we were solid with [sisters] Daisy and Dani Moran.
“During the first half, we weren’t able to create smooth play in the middle and the final third. Our second half was definitively better and had more chances on goal. That’s when our player of the game, Micayla [Shook], was able to score from Messina’s assist.
In a league game Jan. 21, Ocean View and Segerstrom played to a 1-1 tie through regulation and overtime and in a penalty kicks phase, the Seahawks were outscored, 4-2. Cintia Ruiz scored in regulation for the Seahawks. Sanchez said his team played “probably one of our best games” but was “just unlucky finishing.”
In Sunset League girls’ soccer action at 3 p.m. Thursday, Edison travels to Los Alamitos, Fountain Valley hosts Newport Harbor, and Marina entertains Huntington. Also Thursday, Ocean View hosts Santa Ana in a 3 p.m. Golden West League game.
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Boys Soccer
Rivals Edison and Fountain Valley met Friday in a Sunset League matchup on the Barons’ home turf, and the teams battled to a 1-1 tie.
Koray Shahinylimaz scored, Sam Kemper recorded the assist, and goalie Brendon Fix had nine saves and was “the difference maker,” Coach Charlie Breneman said, for Edison. The Chargers, ranked No. 10 in CIF-SS Division 1, ended the first-half of league play 4-0-1 (first place) and 11-3-3 overall.
Ryan Erickson scored for Fountain Valley which went to 3-1-1 in league and 11-5-2 overall.
“Fountain Valley is a tough place to go play at and they gave us all we could handle,” Breneman said. “Our guys had enough grit to earn the tie which keeps us in first place.”
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•Huntington Beach couldn’t overcome a poor first half and it cost the Oilers in their 4-1 Sunset League loss Friday to visiting Los Alamitos (4-1 league).
“Every mistake we made, Los Al took advantage of,” said Huntington Coach Sean Dick whose squad trailed, 4-0, at halftime. “We struggle to get organized and played poorly on defense. Defense has not been a problem for us all year until these past two (Los Alamitos, Edison on Jan. 15) games, and you do not make mistakes against Edison or Los Al, they will punish you for it.”
The Oilers slipped to 2-3 in league and 8-5-5 overall.
“We will need to take care of business for our remaining games and get a little help from other teams if we want to repeat as league champion,” Dick said. “This is Sunset League and anything can happen here, but, there are no weak opponents in league, everyone comes to play.”
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•Marina earned its first Sunset League victory Friday and did it via a shutout as the visiting Vikings blanked Newport Harbor (0-5 league), 2-0.
Francisco Alvarez scored in the opening half off an assist from Hayden Street, and Geoffrey Delorie scored in the second half, and Marina improved to 1-4 in league and 4-11-3 overall.
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•Ocean View dropped its fourth Golden West League game when the Seahawks were defeated, 5-2, at Loara. Jose Huerta scored both goals for the Seahawks who fell to 1-4 in league and 2-6-3 overall.
Local boys’ soccer teams were back on the pitch Wednesday but scores weren’t available at press time. In Sunset games Friday, Edison hosts Los Alamitos (5 p.m.), Huntington hosts Marina (5 p.m.) and Fountain Valley goes to Newport Harbor (5 p.m.). In a Golden West game Friday, Ocean View visits Westminster (5 p.m.).
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CIF Weekly Rankings
Boys’ Soccer: Edison (No. 10, Division 1).
Girls’ Soccer: Edison (No. 7, Division 1); Huntington Beach (tie-No. 10, Division 1); Ocean View (No. 8, Division 5).
Girls’ Water Polo: Ocean View (No. 2, Division 6).
