Sunset League Title a Pleasant Surprise for Edison

An hour after Edison had defeated Huntington Beach, 3-1, in Sunset League girls’ soccer, Edison Coach Kerry Crooks found out Marina had upset Los Alamitos, giving Edison its second consecutive league title.

“Oh my gosh, are you kidding? I can’t believe it,” Crooks said. “I’m so excited. I lost 12 seniors from last year’s team. I never expected this. I told the girls on Monday, never give up, and this is exactly why.”

Entering Thursday’s game at Edison, the seventh-ranked Chargers were two points behind No. 2 Los Alamitos in the standings and Crooks figured there was little hope for more than a co-championship.

Huntington Beach (10-8-3, 4-5-1) also came into the game hoping to earn a playoff spot, but the Oilers needed not only a win, but an Esperanza tie or loss. They got neither and now are hoping for an at-large berth.

The Oilers took a 1-0 halftime lead when Kendra Aston touched a pass to Nikki Saenz in front of the net, who slammed it past Edison goalkeeper Cathryn Perkins.

In the second half, Edison deflated the Oilers’ hopes with two goals in less than a minute. Morton flicked in a corner kick from Erin Novak and seconds later, Morton crossed the ball to Brooke Thulin, who drilled it past Blythe Curran.

Edison sealed the victory when Morton, on a breakaway, drew Blythe out of the goal, and then dished it off to Lindsay Weaver who tapped it into the open goal.