Tologs running on high
NORTHEAST GLENDALE — A blinding late-afternoon sun wasn’t going to deter Tera Trujillo from doing her job. As far as Trujillo is concerned, it’s part of the territory when competing.
In fact, the Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy soccer player said she blocked out the sun with the Tologs on the move.
“It didn’t affect me at all and I tried not to notice it,” Trujillo said after notching an assist and a goal off a direct kick from Lauren Torres in the 28th minute in the Tologs’ 3-0 victory against Royal on Tuesday in a Red Bracket match of the sixth annual Los Tacos Holiday Tournament at the Glendale Sports Complex. “It’s a play me and my dad have practiced and I’m good in the air.
“You just have to watch it coming and I jumped over the defender. You have to be in the exact place at the exact right time.”
Flintridge Sacred Heart (6-0) also received one goal each from Alyssa Conti and Kayla Mills to turn aside Royal (3-4-4). In an earlier tournament contest, Flintridge Sacred Heart, which won the tournament last season, coasted to a 7-0 win against Highland.
Flintridge Sacred Heart co-Coach Kathy Desmond, who helped guide the Tologs to the CIF Southern California Regional Division III championship last season after placing second in the Mission League and advancing to the CIF Southern Section Division II semifinals, said Trujillo would probably be a factor against Royal.
“Tera is a beast, and she’ll get in there and battle whether it’s 10 on one or one on one,” said Desmond, whose team will meet playoff rival Saugus in another bracket match at 11:30 a.m. today at the same venue.
After the Tologs were denied twice on point-blank shots by Royal goalkeeper Hailee Powell, Trujillo, a junior midfielder, broke the scoreless deadlock to give the Tologs a 1-0 halftime advantage.
The Tologs extended the lead to 2-0 when a corner kick by Conti deflected in the net off a Royal defender in the 34th minute. After a header by Mills deflected off the crossbar in the 36th minute, Mills bounced back with a goal in the 43rd minute to complete the scoring.
Flintridge Sacred Heart finished with 11 shots on goal. The Tologs got one save apiece from Lindsey Espe and Samantha Dier.
Now, the Tologs will focus on Saugus. Flintridge Sacred Heart rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the second half of a quarterfinal playoff match last season to post a 3-2 victory at Glendale Community College and halt the Centurions’ bid for a second CIF crown in a row. In 2009, Saugus eliminated visiting Flintridge Sacred Heart, 1-0, in a postseason match.
“They are going to come after us,” Desmond said. “They are mad, as we would be if we had lost to them.
“We have to be ready and expect to be challenged. We have the target on our back now.”
In the match against Highland (1-4-2), the Tologs received two goals and two assists from Mills. Katie Johnson had a goal and an assist and Krista Meaglia had two goals for Flintridge Sacred Heart, which got one goal apiece from Jillian Jacobs, Kendall Sandoval and Savannah Viola.
Johnson became the third Tolog in team history to surpass the 100-point barrier, joining Jessica Reyes and Hannah Hand. She now has 101 career points.
The Tologs competed in both matches without junior forward Breeana Koemans, who is nursing an a left-ankle injury. Desmond said it wasn’t clear when Koemans, who was tabbed the tournament’s most valuable player last season, would return.
