La Cañada girls’ soccer answers bell in overtime
LA CAÑADA — A season after seeing its playoff run end with an overtime loss, the La Cañada High girls’ soccer team switched its fortunes around.
La Cañada couldn’t settle matters with visiting Temescal Canyon through 80 minutes in a CIF Southern Section Division IV first-round match Thursday, leaving the Spartans and Titans to solve things in overtime.
The overtime proved to be dramatic and sweet for La Cañada, which received a game-winning goal from forward Chloe Kouyoumdjian three minutes into the extra session to record a 1-0 victory.
La Cañada (11-6-5) will meet Cerritos Valley Christian (20-3-1) in a second-round home match Tuesday.
Shortly before the goal, Temescal’s Canyon’s Haleigh Wynne was ejected from the game after getting a red card in a collision with La Cañada’s Mia LeClerc. The Titans (11-9-5) were forced to play the remainder of the match shorthanded.
On the ensuing free kick, Kallie Rushing lofted a ball toward the box. Kouyoumdjian got behind the defense on the left side and scored before being mobbed by her teammates.
“We had some free kicks throughout the game and you just have to be ready for anything,” Kouyoumdjian said. “You have to be ready to anticipate and just take a chance and it went our way.
“We stayed calm going into overtime and you have to be able to make something happen. It could come off a bounce or a header.”
La Cañada second-year coach Kevin Neumeier said the Spartans were ready for overtime.
“We had controlled most of the match and we felt good about our chances,” said Neumeier, whose team suffered a 2-1 overtime defeat in the first round against Eleanor Roosevelt last season. “We didn’t want to lose in overtime for the second straight year, so we were able to play smart and get that goal from Chloe.
“You get a free kick and it’s hard to tell what’s going to happen. The main advantage is that you are running toward the ball, so you get that opportunity.to possibly score.”
The Spartans, who finished second in the Rio Hondo League, had a couple of quality scoring opportunities late in the second half. Haley Decker lined a shot just wide of the right post in the 69th minute and Kouyoumdjian was stopped inside the box about six minutes later.
La Cañada fell, 1-0, to Cerritos Valley Christian in a nonleague road match Jan. 12.
Twitter: @TCNCharlesRich
