Flintridge Prep girls’ soccer runs past Mayfield
PASADENA — Once again, the Flintridge Prep and Mayfield girls’ soccer teams had to wait around for a while before they finally took the field against each other.
Tuesday’s match between the teams was delayed for half an hour because a Pasadena City College softball game occupied a third of the field at Robinson Park.
The teams’ first match earlier this season had to be rescheduled because of a similar conflict at the Glendale Sports Complex and was played on Saturday with the teams tying.
This time around, Prep prevailed with a 2-0 Prep League victory over Mayfield.
Neither side felt the delay impacted play.
The win improves the Rebels to 13-2-4 overall and 5-2-2 in league. Mayfield falls to 8-5-3 overall and 5-3-2. Flintridge Prep has one match remaining, a contest against Westridge on Thursday, with a point needed to break a second-place tie in league. Playoff seedings are announced on Monday.
Flintridge senior Kaitlyn Kelleher said that her team was focused on finishing second once Pasadena Poly had wrapped up the top spot.
“That’s how Prep is,” Kelleher said. “We’ve got to get the best we can, and second was the best we can.”
With his team having played its fourth match in five days, Rebels Coach Esteban Chavez fears his team is fatigued. He said he won’t hold any practices until Monday.
“I felt our best play was the first 20, 25 minutes.” Chavez said. “Twenty, 25 minutes, that’s all we were good for. Psychologically, mentally, physically, we’re really down right now.”
The first goal came in the 25th minute. Flintridge’s Abby Letts threw the ball in, approximately 25 yards from the goal. Whitney Cohen flicked the ball off her head directly into the path of a streaking Kelleher, who connected on a header for 1-0 lead.
The Rebels’ Katherine Pinney scored an unassisted goal in the 46th minute for the 2-0 advantage.
While Mayfield has not found success against Flintridge Prep in recent memory, coach Chris Howe said that this is the first time in 10 years that the team has had a winning record in league.
“We’ve been able to adjust to certain situations,” Howe said. “We’ve been able to change our formation a lot.
“In the past, that’s what the perception’s been of Mayfield, that they’re going to get blown out by the other team.”
Kelleher for one is looking forward to the days without practice her coach promised leading up to the playoffs.
“I think we are a strong team, so we’re saying we’re not fatigued and we’re fighting through, but I think definitely having practice off tomorrow, and having the weekend off will be a nice time to recuperate and get ready for the playoffs,” Kelleher said.