Chaminade Regroups With Late Scoring Run

Just when it looked like Harvard-Westlake High had added injury to insult in a Mission League girls’ soccer game Friday, Chaminade performed the unbelievable for a 3-2 victory.

Host Harvard-Westlake broke open a scoreless game with two breakaway goals by freshman Jen Sayles midway through the second half. Chaminade goalkeeper Candice Rodella, who had stormed out of goal to cut off the angle on each of Sayles’ shots, was knocked unconscious when she hit the ground attempting a diving save on the second goal.

Rodella, a junior, sustained a concussion and spent the night at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles under observation.

Chaminade, which had struggled to mount an attack, scored three goals in 15 minutes to win the league title and deny Harvard-Westlake a share.

“Earlier in the week, we lost our center midfielder [Lauren Treinen] to a neck injury, and with Candice getting hurt, we really wanted to come back and get the win,” said Loretta Younkin, a sophomore who blasted a 35-yard shot for the game-winner with fewer than five minutes to play.

“I figured, ‘Why not?’ ” she said of the shot.

Younkin’s goal, which was similar to one she made Wednesday in a 2-1 overtime victory over Louisville, capped a wild finish to a game Harvard-Westlake (14-3-4, 8-2 in league play) controlled for 60 minutes.

The Wolverines, playing without star midfielder Jill Oakes, who was ill, had few scoring opportunities until Sayles broke through on quick-hitting counters off feeds from Tracy Lansing.

But the Eagles (18-4-2, 10-0), who were also missing starter Kristina Chew, didn’t give up and drew fouls shortly after Rodella was injured.

Seniors Lauren Nussbaum and Kim Taylor knocked in free kicks to tie the score, 2-2.

“That’s our youth,” Harvard-Westlake Coach Ned Smith said. “I hope it’s tough for them to take. They deserve to be devastated.”

The Wolverines were trying to avenge a 2-1 loss at Chaminade last week. Instead, the Eagles got their first victory at Harvard-Westlake in Coach Mike Evans’ seven years.

Evans, who is trying to guide the Eagles to their fifth consecutive Southern Section Division IV title, hopes injuries to three starters and two reserves heal in time for the playoffs, which begin Friday.