Flintridge Prep girls’ soccer gets a little revenge
NORTHEAST GLENDALE — Looking for a way to climb back into the hunt for the Prep League title, the Flintridge Prep girls’ soccer team turned to its go-to player for support.
With a favorable bounce, the Rebels reasserted themselves and avenged their only league defeat.
Kaelin King scored with 20 seconds left in the first half to lead Flintridge Prep to a 1-0 league home win against Chadwick on Wednesday afternoon at the Glendale Sports Complex.
Flintridge Prep improved to 10-1-2, 2-1 in league. Chadwick dropped to 4-4-1, 2-2. Chadwick posted a 2-0 home win against Flintridge Prep on Dec. 14.
“We have only one loss, but it’s from the game that mattered most,” said Flintridge Prep Coach Esteban Chavez, whose team won the league championship the last three seasons and is ranked No. 7 in the latest CIF Southern Section Division III poll. “We had to go through the winter break with that, but we found a way to bounce back today and turn things around.
“We get a big goal from Kaelin and our defense stood out again. You get a goal like that at that time and your morale goes up.”
The goal came at the ideal time for the Rebels, who entered the contest tied for third in league.
Flintridge Prep’s Katherine Pinney got around a Chadwick defender and made a nice pass to King, whose shot deflected off the inside of the far right post and spun over the goal line.
“Katherine gave me a great pass,” King said. “I got off the shot and it went in off the post.
“Those are the kind of goals that can completely change the momentum. If you give up the goal with not much time left, it’s hard to come back and respond. The Prep League is so competitive. Maybe you can drop one game. Unfortunately, that came a little earlier than we would have liked.”
The Rebels had several good chances to extend the lead in the second half. Abby Letts headed a corner kick just over the crossbar in the 49th minute. In the 60th minute, Pinney took a seven-foot shot that struck off the crossbar.
Flintridge Prep, led by the defensive trio of Chelsea Johnson, Whitney Cohen and Samantha Davies, posted its 11th shutout. Flintridge Prep goalkeeper Casey Cousineau finished with two saves.
Flintridge Prep, which has yielded only four goals, will next meet rival Pasadena Poly in a league home match at 3:15 p.m. Monday at the Glendale Sports Complex. The Panthers are ranked first in the division.
“We will get ourselves up for them,” King said. “You know going in that’s it’s going to be a tough match.”
