Cristiano, Rech Shine in All-Star Game
With South County players dominating the rosters for the Orange County Senior High School All-Star girls’ soccer game, organizers decided against a north-south showdown and instead randomly split the girls, separating teammates and sisters alike. The result was the county’s best girls’ all-star game in more than five years.
Both offense and defense had chances to sparkle as the Black team, coached by Capistrano Valley’s Jack Peterson, defeated Tino Ray Younger’s White team, 5-4, Monday night at Chapman.
Woodbridge forward Sierra Cristiano put on a show with three goals and an assist for the Black. But it was Rosary midfielder Shauna Rech who dazzled the crowd, with two spectacular second-half goals for the White.
Rech, who will play at St. Mary’s next year, scored the most impressive goal of the night late in the game, when she blew past three defenders and slammed a shot into the opposite corner of the goal, bringing the White to within 5-4. Her earlier goal, a one-on-one with Canyon’s Jen Munson (Air Force), tied the score at 3-3.
“I didn’t think I was going to make it all the way through,” Rech said of the second goal. “That was fun.”
Cristiano, bound for Arizona, opened the scoring 15 minutes into the game, when she took a through pass from San Clemente’s Emily Ernsdorf (UCLA) and beat Cypress goalkeeper Angela Orr (Cypress College), who missed when she came out to make the tackle.
One minute later, Capistrano Valley’s Janelle Hillseth (Pepperdine) tied the score for the White, before Capistrano Valley’s Lindsay Greco (UCLA) gave the Black a 2-1 lead with 25 minutes left in the half. Ernsdorf, who finished with three assists, picked up a goal of her own 10 minutes later.
Calvary Chapel’s Jen Cefalia opened the second half with a blast from 30 yards that Munson had no chance on, pulling the White to within 3-2.
Cristiano picked up her final goal when Ernsdorf lobbed a ball in front of the goal and Cristiano headed it over the fingertips of Santa Margarita’s Lauren Kent (Notre Dame.)
