Girls’ 3-A Soccer Championship Game : Buena’s Defense Throttles Esperanza’s Hopes, 2-0

Last Tuesday, Esperanza High School’s girls’ soccer team played one of the best matches of the season, shutting out San Gorgonio, the defending Southern Section 3-A champion, 4-0.

Four days later, the Aztecs were limited to so-so play as they were shut out, 2-0, by Buena Saturday in the championship game at Gahr High School in Cerritos.

Esperanza, which finished 23-2-2, had met its match.

“We just weren’t at all sharp today,” said John Coppage, Esperanza coach. “We had the opportunities. We had corner kicks. But we just were not into it for some reason.”

The Aztec players had other theories.

“We played our best game against San Gorgonio,” said Colleen Gamblin, a senior sweeper. “I think everyone thought it would be that easy today.”

Esperanza, which, until Saturday, had shut out 22 opponents and allowed only five goals, never gained control of Saturday’s match.

Though Buena outshot the Aztecs by only 14-11, the Bulldogs gained their advantage by getting to the ball quicker and more often than the Esperanza players.

The Aztecs were equally frustrated by the Buena defense, which continually foiled their scoring drives.

This was especially true on corner kicks, usually regarded as an Esperanza specialty. Each time the Aztecs took a corner kick in the second half, the ball was cleared of the goal on a header by a Buena defender.

Buena also had its troubles, thanks to the defensive efforts of Gamblin. She constantly frustrated Buena drives with long clearing kicks and steals.

After a scoreless first half, Esperanza seemed to come out in the second half with greater intensity.

And eight minutes into the half, it had its best scoring opportunity. The Aztecs had the ball within five yards of the goal, but Buena’s defense held tight through a rapid-fire series of shots.

If that didn’t frustrate Esperanza, the next minute did. Trisha Kimble, who led Buena with 32 goals this season, dribbled downfield and shot a high, spinning kick from 40 yards out.

The ball arched up, and came down into the waiting hands of goalie Tymerie Busser. But the shot’s force was too much, and the ball slipped from Busser’s gloves and into the net.

Down 1-0, Esperanza tried to recover by increasing the tempo. But Buena kept attacking, first with a direct free kick that rebounded off the top post, and next with a bull’s-eye shot that surely would have been another goal had Gamblin not intercepted with a defensive header.

With six minutes remaining, Kimble dribbled to within 20 yards and shot. The ball hit the back of Esperanza defender Denise Webb, who quickly recovered and tapped the ball toward Busser’s reach.

But Webb didn’t see Buena’s Patsy Levias rushing in behind her. And Busser couldn’t stop Levias from sliding in for a second goal.

“We were there and scored when we had the opportunities,” Buena Coach Barbara Huskey said. “I think our first goal just killed them. They realized we weren’t going to die easily.”

Buena, in only its second season of girls’ soccer, finished 22-4-1.