GIRLS’ SOCCER DIVISION 2-A : Changes? What Changes? San Pasqual Wins Again

Having lost 11 seniors from last year, the San Pasqual girls’ soccer team had to put up with doubters despite four previous successful seasons.

So the players used the doubt for motivation.

“We made our motto ‘Strive for five,’ ” sophomore Shannon MacMillan said. “We chanted that before every game.”

MacMillan scored one goal as the Golden Eagles won their fifth consecutive San Diego Section 2-A championship with a 3-1 victory over USDHS at Torrey Pines.

MacMillan, who finished with 26 goals and 12 assists, scored off an assist by Nikki Gannon fifteen seconds into the second half to break a 1-1 tie. Gannon had played in the Division II girls’ basketball championship game just two hours before.

With 10 minutes remaining, Paloma Vanderzanden scored off an assist by Carrie Lee to clinch the victory for San Pasqual (23-4-1).

Lee had scored the Golden Eagles’ first goal on a free kick 45 seconds in the game. USDHS’s Ann David attempted to make the save, but the ball slipped out of her hands and into the net.

Twenty minutes into the game, Dawn Hood tied it for USDHS (14-7-4).

USDHS Coach Butch Lee said he wasn’t disappointed with the loss, just glad his team reached the playoffs.

“We came to the Bill Bullock show,” Lee said, referring to San Pasqual’s coach. “He always has a good side. We surprised a lot of teams to get here. We played real well. They’re a young team with a lot of heart.”

He added: “Next year, we’ll be a team that could beat San Pasqual.”

Bullock said that the loss of the 11 seniors forced him to make a lot of changes this season.

“We had to rebuild the defense and move some kids around,” he said. “This is one of the biggest wins because of that.”

One of Bullock’s changes was to move senior Suzi Esposito, a third-year varsity player, from forward to goalkeeper. She made three saves against USDHS.