Early onslaught powers Burbank girls’ soccer to win

BURBANK — The Burbank High girls’ soccer team was missing a number of players who were competing for their respective club teams when the Bulldogs tied their season opener last week against Flintridge Prep.

In a nonleague game Tuesday against South Pasadena, Burbank got a chance to showcase its team at full strength. And if the result is any indication, the Bulldogs might be in for a successful season.

Burbank jumped out in front early, tallying three goals in the first nine minutes of the contest and was able to coast to a 6-0 victory at home.

“We aren’t actually playing all together yet,” Burbank Coach Eric Montoya said. “We’re not communicating and talking out there like we should. And we have to work on our shape because we were a little out of shape at times throughout the game.

“But once we get things together I think this team has the potential to be very good. We have a really good group and they are putting in the time. We just need to play as a team and not worry about individual stats.”

If the Bulldogs (1-0-1) haven’t gotten things together quite yet, it surely didn’t show against the Tigers (0-2).

“We wanted them to take the shots when they had the opportunity,” Montoya said. “But really, I thought we matched up well against them on defense and I think we really outplayed them on the defensive end. We just have to maintain the defensive intensity in every game.”

It didn’t take long for the Burbank offense to get rolling. Less than four minutes into the contest, Emma Dixon scored on an assist from Katherine Pimentel. Pimentel got the ball in front of the South Pasadena goal around two defenders and took a weak shot. The attempt dribbled off a Tigers defender before bouncing to Dixon, who promptly drilled a shot that beat goalie Madaline Kause low on her right side.

Less than three minutes later, Burbank made it 2-0 when Mireya Gonzalez let fly on a shot from 30 yards out. The attempt apparently caught Kause off guard, as the goalkeeper didn’t seem to move as the ball rocketed past her into the goal.

“Because we didn’t have all of our players before and this being the first time we were all together, I think that really got us excited and maybe that’s why we started off so strongly,” said Burbank senior forward Clarissa Guerrero, who tallied two goals. It was just nice to get ahead early, that way we don’t have to worry about scoring goals.”

Following a goal by Pimentel in the ninth minute, Guerrero got into the action by scoring her first goal of the contest in the 14th minute. The Bulldogs were able to go into the half with a 5-0 cushion when Kira Bouchard made good on a penalty shot in the 35th minute.

The Burbank defense made life easy for Burbank goalkeeper Allison Tiegs, who is in her first year as the team’s starting keeper.

The Tigers’ best scoring chance in the first half came in the eighth minute when Jazmin Jackmon powered a shot off the right goal post.

In the second half, South Pasadena’s Jacqueline Mejia banked a shot off the crossbar in the 45th minute.

“I feel we have a more disciplined team this year and the captains are really doing their job at keeping the team together,” Guerrero said. “

Guerrero capped the scoring with her second goal in the game’s final minute.