No rust for Flintridge Prep girls’ soccer in win against Westridge
GLENDALE — Having not played a match in 15 days, the Flintridge Prep girls’ soccer team took on Westridge on Tuesday and hoped to shake off any cobwebs that might have lingered from the extended time off.
The Rebels also had to take the field without standout defender Abby Letts, who was serving a one-game suspension after getting double yellow cards in the team’s Prep League contest Jan. 14 against Pasadena Poly.
Any notion of Flintridge Prep suffering from rust was dispelled in the first few minutes, as the team scored an early goal. With their offense clicking and a defense that would surrender just one shot the entire match, the Rebels were able to coast to a 4-0 league victory at the Glendale Sports Complex.
The Rebels (11-1-3, 3-1-1 in league) received all the offense they would need in the fifth minute, when Kaelin King took a pass from Katherine Pinney and delivered a perfectly placed shot into the corner of the net.
It would be the first of two goals on the day for King, who said the Rebels were eager to get back into action after the layoff.
“We worried a little that with that much time off we might be off of our game a little,” King said. “We just wanted to come out today and focus on this team and work on the things that we do best. We wanted to stay focused and try to give our best effort.”
The Tigers (5-7, 1-5) just couldn’t generate any offense against a Flintridge Prep defense that snuffed out the few chances that Westridge generated. Behind goalkeeper Casey Cousineau and a defense and midfield spearheaded by Kaitlyn Kelleher, Chelsea Johnson, Samantha Davies, Whitney Cohen, Kaitlin Liston and Marisa Alfaro, Westridge cold muster just one shot, that coming on a weak attempt 25 minutes into the second half.
With only a handful of club players, Westridge Coach Felipe Rodriguez said he is limited in the talent he gets out for the team.
“They have a team full of club players, and I maybe have five club players on this team,” he said. “We are very limited to what this team can do. A lot of the players that we have do it just for a hobby at school.
“All I ask of them is to go out and fight, and they did that today.”
With a 1-0 advantage, King struck again in the 21st minute. She worked the ball in, moved around a defender and rifled a shot low into the right corner of the net.
The Rebels added to their tally in the 31st minute on a fine pass from Pinney. Pinney fed Jordan Hutson deep on the right side and Hudson let loose a hard shot that nicked off the near post for a goal.
“I thought collectively that we played pretty well in the early going,” Flintridge Prep Coach Esteban Chavez said. “I thought that we were a little rusty in some areas, but I’m not complaining.
Westridge had an opportunity in the 23rd minute when Whitney White fought through a defender in front of the Flintridge Prep box. White tapped the ball toward the net but the ball just fluttered and Cousineau covered up on it for the save.
With a 3-0 lead at the half, the Rebels tallied the final score in the 73rd minute on a goal by Pinney that was assisted by Kelleher.
