Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy soccer holds off gritty Flintridge Prep
LOS ANGELES — Depending on what juncture of the match was observed, the level of separation between the Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy and Flintridge Prep soccer teams appeared small to nonexistent.
The visiting Rebels outshot their crosstown foes and arguably controlled most of the second half.
Yet, the biggest difference between the squads was in the final result, as the Tologs made a first-half goal stand in a 1-0 nonleague victory Thursday afternoon at Occidental College’s Jack Kemp Stadium.
With the win, Flintridge Sacred Heart improved its record to 3-0-1, while the Tologs have yet to surrender a goal this fledgling season.
Even with both stats, Tologs co-Coach Frank Pace had mixed feelings afterward.
“I actually thought this was our worst defensive effort of the season,” Pace said. “Flintridge Prep moved the ball and we allowed for some chances.
“Maybe I over analyze this a little too much and look at the flaws rather than the successes. I mean this is a pretty good Prep team, so I am happy we did get the shutout.”
Perhaps Pace’s range of emotion stems from the Rebels (4-3-1) outshooting the Tologs, 11-8, in the match and 7-3 in the second half.
If there’s a silver lining, it’s that Flintridge Sacred Heart made critical stops when it needed to, including in the 54th minute when a cross from Rebels freshman Julia Gonzalez was perfectly placed to teammate Alexis Gordon about five yards from goal.
Just as Gordon was going to take the shot, she was bumped by a defender, which forced Gordon to take a shorter attempt that was tapped out of play by Tologs freshman keeper Mattie Interian (six saves).
Interian also delivered a timely stop in the 65th minute when a corner kick from Flintridge Prep’s Katherine Pinney was one-timed directly into Interian’s stomach as the save was made 10 yards from goal.
“I guess the best way to look at it is that this is our fourth game together and we’re doing well,” Pace said. “We’re getting better.”
The Tologs scored all the offense they needed in the 28th minute off a corner kick.
On the corner kick, freshman midfielder Fiona Stayton laced a solid pass right into the middle of the goal box, which sophomore midfielder Sophia Saldivar chipped in from the inside of her shoe for the match-winner.
“Coach always tells us to go far post and that’s what I did,” Saldivar said. “My teammate cleared out some great space for me and then I got the pass from Fiona and knocked it in.”
While the score was the only one of the afternoon for the Tologs, the squad came oh so close on a couple of other occasions.
Saldivar stole possession inside the 18 in the 33rd minute and had a 15-yard shot clank off the far post. In the 47th minute, Rebels goalie Lauren Stiles (five saves) made a brilliant one-handed save on a 10-yard shot from Tologs sophomore Heather Turcios.
Despite having lost back-to-back matches in consecutive days, Rebels Coach Esteban Chavez was satisfied with his team’s effort.
“The difference with how played [in a 3-2 loss to Burbank] yesterday versus today was like night and day,” Chavez said. “It’s not about the 1-0 score, but about the effort and the communication.
“We played so much better today and that’s what I appreciate.”