Esperanza Beats the Clock, Marina

Esperanza used a buzzer-beater for the second consecutive game, scoring with no time remaining in the first half and defeating Marina, 1-0, in a Sunset League game Tuesday at Marina.

Last week the Aztecs defeated Edison, 1-0, again scoring with no time remaining in the first half.

“I don’t know what it is,” Esperanza Coach Trevor Ickes said. “I told the girls we have something magical that happens to us at the end of the first half.”

Senior defender Katie Lousma lobbed a free kick in front of the goal that Marina failed to clear and sophomore forward Erin Clewett was there to take advantage, putting the ball from close range past Marina’s senior goalkeeper Cari Delaney. Then the referee blew the whistle to end the half.

The victory pulled eighth-ranked Esperanza (11-5-2, 3-1) into a first-place tie with No. 7 Marina (13-6-2, 3-1).

Esperanza’s defense thwarted two key scoring opportunities by Marina midway through the second half and that seemed to take the momentum away from the Vikings.

Junior Amanda Gonzalez crossed the ball to the front of the goal and sophomore Jennifer Kindschi got a shot at the corner of the net. But Esperanza goalkeeper Kristen Skinner lunged at the ball, and although she slipped in some sand, she just got her fingertips on the ball to push it outside the post.

On the ensuing corner kick, Skinner, who recorded her 11th shutout, got knocked down and the ball skidded loose. But Marina couldn’t get a shot and Esperanza cleared the ball.

“In order to win this league you have to go on a roll,” Ickes said. “We couldn’t let them win and go up by six points. Now we just need to keep it going.”