Monroe Girls Finally Break Through, 2-0

Frustration gave way to jubilation Saturday for Monroe High when it scored twice in the final 15 minutes to defeat Belmont, 2-0, in the City Division girls’ soccer championship game at Birmingham High.

Monroe (14-5-1), seeded fifth, won its first title since capturing the 1996 3-A Division title.

Belmont (12-4-6) was seeded third.

Sharon Cervantes and Liz Nemeth scored the goals and Jordana Cail had two assists for Monroe, which held an 11-2 shot advantage, including a 7-0 edge in the second half.

“The girls gutted it out; it’s a tribute to determination,” said Coach Gregg Johnson of Monroe. “We played great ball control throughout and finally the shots fell in at the end.”

Monroe took a 1-0 lead in the 65th minute when goalkeeper Yazmin Juarez of Belmont punched out Cail’s corner kick and Cervantes, standing in the center of the box, kicked the deflection under the crossbar for her first goal of the season.

The Vikings scored with three minutes to play when Cail sent a clearing pass to Nemeth, who made a 20-yard run before sending a 30-yard shot from the left wing into the net off the right post. The goal was Nemeth’s 21st of the season.

“I brought [defender] Beatriz Hernandez up front after the first goal,” said Coach Neil La Sala of Belmont. “They made a quick transition and Liz [capitalized] on it.”

Cail, a junior who began the season as a wing, moved to the central midfield when veteran Heidi Lopez left the team for personal reasons. Cail’s adaptation to the playmaking role was crucial in the team’s success.

“She’s the workhorse, the one who holds things together for us,” Johnson said.