Cleveland Porous in 2nd Half

At least they scored this time.

The Cleveland High girls’ soccer team lost in the City Section 3-A Division title match to Hamilton for the second time in three years Saturday, surrendering three second-half goals and falling, 4-1.

In 1995, the Cavaliers lost, 3-0, and could muster only four shots. Saturday, at East L.A. College, they were outshot, 14-5, and overmatched, but they did not embarrass themselves.

“I feel like today, we played a lot better than two years ago,” Cleveland senior forward Patti Castro said. “We communicate better and we pass a lot more.”

Top-seeded Hamilton (16-1) rendered the Cavaliers’ improvement moot. The Yankees peppered Cleveland goalie Morgan Bleimeyer with shots and shut down standout midfielder Brynne Blumstein.

“We wanted to pass more than we did, but Brynne was covered most of the time and she’s the one who feeds the ball to people,” Castro said.

Hamilton took a 1-0 lead two minutes before halftime. Elizabeth Bernier converted a penalty kick after Dante Lipfert was tripped in the penalty area.

Cleveland (16-8) tied the match in the first minute of the second half when Julie Munjack dribbled down the left side and past two defenders before chipping the ball over charging goalkeeper Julia Rhoton.

Hamilton answered with three goals in 13 minutes, the first coming only three minutes after Munjack’s equalizer when Lipfert kicked a bouncing ball over Bleimeyer and under the crossbar from 10 yards.

The Yankees scored again in the 46th minute when Bernier notched her 25th goal and in the 57th minute when Lipfert kicked in a failed Cavalier clearing attempt for her 21st goal.