Fountain Valley Beats Los Alamitos

Playing with little to lose against a team hurt by the absence of two starters, Fountain Valley dominated and beat Los Alamitos, 3-2, Thursday in a Sunset League girls’ soccer game.

Fountain Valley, ranked No. 9 in Orange County, improved to 13-4-4 overall and 3-3-2. With two games remaining in a tight league race, the Barons are in fifth place.

Los Alamitos (11-5-4, 5-3-0), Marina (12-5-2, 4-2-2) and Edison (14-5-5, 4-2-2) are in the hunt for the league title and Esperanza (11-5-3, 4-3-1) is not far behind. The Barons are fighting for a wild-card spot in playoffs.

“I told them just to have fun, to enjoy what they’re doing out there and today you could see it,” Baron Coach Brandee Craig said. “That was their best soccer.”

It didn’t hurt the Barons’ cause that Griffin starting forwards Carrie Shinen and Brittany Savelkoul were ejected in Los Alamitos’ 2-0 victory over Esperanza on Tuesday and therefore could not play Thursday.

With Shinen, the Griffins’ leading scorer, out of the lineup, Craig pushed powerful stopper Sharon Gillis into the midfield to augment the Baron offense. The strategy worked--sixth-ranked Los Alamitos was on the defensive almost from the start.

Fountain Valley scored in the sixth minute after Mary Peters received a cross from Mindy Miller and chipped it high into the top of the net. Miller assisted again on the Barons’ second goal, which was scored by Nicole Sweany to give Fountain Valley a 2-0 lead in the 60th minute.

Los Alamitos’ Andrea Sievers scored on a penalty kick with about eight minutes to play to make the score 2-1.

Fountain Valley struck back about four minutes later. Gillis sent the ball through a flat Los Alamitos defense and Heidi Denton, who made a run from midfield, found herself one-on-one with Los Alamitos goalkeeper Lynsey Salsbury, who had strayed a few yards in front of the goal. Denton made a quick fake then kicked it high into the net to make it 3-1.

Sievers scored the final goal for Los Alamitos after a free kick in the final minute of the game, but by then it was too late.

--WENDY WITHERSPOON

In other Sunset League games:

Esperanza 4, Marina 3--Kim Gallo knocked in the winning goal off an assist from Kristine O’Donnell in the 71st minute, as No. 10 Esperanza upset fourth-ranked Marina (12-6-2, 4-2-2). Gallo scored three times for Esperanza (11-6-3, 4-3-1). Sophomore O’Donnell scored her first varsity goal for the Aztecs.

Edison 2, Huntington Beach 0--Loree Tamanaha had a goal and an assist and Jennifer Mercurio scored for host Edison (15-5-5, 4-2-2).

In the Century League:

El Modena 1, Canyon 0--Kaylee Whitfield scored her 22nd goal on a penalty kick in the 68th minute for host El Modena (16-5-3, 7-1), ranked seventh in Division II.

In the Freeway League:

La Habra 2, Buena Park 0--Dyana Flacks and Shelley Salas each scored a first-half goal for La Habra (13-7-1, 6-1-1).

In the Garden Grove League:

Pacifica 8, Bolsa Grande 0--Alanna Brown and Amanda Freed each scored three goals to lead Pacifica (15-4, 11-0), which remains undefeated in league.

In the Orange League:

Brea Olinda 11, Savanna 0--Kim Needham scored three goals as the Wildcats (12-7-1, 8-0) clinched at least a share of the league title.

In the Pacific Coast League:

Laguna Hills 1, University 0--Karine Inoue scored her 24th goal of the season for third-ranked Laguna Hills (17-2-3, 7-0-1).

In the Sea View League:

Santa Margarita 2, El Toro 0--Kristen Rowe scored both goals for top-ranked Santa Margarita (20-0-2, 8-0-1).

In Garden Grove League boys’ soccer:

Santiago 3, La Quinta 1--Albert Mendez scored two goals as visiting Santiago (18-1-1, 9-0-1) clinched the league title.