Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy soccer stays on goal in win
LOS ANGELES — Somewhere between content and unsatisfied, and sometimes both, were the feelings of Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy girls’ soccer Coach Cesar Hidalgo on Thursday evening.
His Tologs continued their strong start to the season, winning their third nonleague contest without a setback, 1-0, versus host Marlborough of Los Angeles at Occidental College.
Yet, the score and Flintridge Sacred Heart’s execution left something to be desired, at least according to Hidalgo.
“I’m satisfied with the game, but I’m unsatisfied with the effort and play,” said Hidalgo, whose Tologs (3-0) have outscored Monrovia, Glendale and now Marlborough by a combined 8-0 total. “We still need to improve, especially with finishing.
“But, what can you say, a win is win. Sometimes you just have to be happy with what you get.”
The match’s lone score took place in the sixth minute when Tologs sophomore forward Nicole Linden stole possession away from the Mustangs (3-2-1) about 30 yards from their goal and led a three-on-one break the other way.
Linden crossed to teammate Micaela Snashall, who dribbled the ball up the field 10 yards before knifing a pass to freshman Sofia Saldivar, who fired from 10 yards out past Mustangs senior goalie Rylee Shumway (five saves) for the score.
“I knew that Marlborough’s goalie was really tough and it was going to be tough to get one past her,” Saldivar said. “So, I just tried to tuck one into the corner.”
The goal stood for the next 74 minutes.
While Flintridge Sacred Heart continued to dominate the contest, outshooting Marlborough, 16-4, the Tologs just missed on a few occasions, including when Snashall buried a 15-yard goal in the 13th minute that was scratched due to an offsides call.
“I wish I could say I wasn’t offsides, but I was,” Snashall said. “We had our chances and we just need to get a few more goals.”
Saldivar also had a solid look in the 59th minute when she launched a 30-yard direct kick that required a leaping save by Shumway, who made a few solid blocks.
Maybe Shumway’s biggest save didn’t count as one in the stat sheet when she cut in front of a pass from Linden intended for Nia Harris, which would have likely resulted in a point-blank shot on goal.
While Shumway was active throughout, her counterpart, Flintridge Sacred Heart goalie Dani Garcia, needed to make only two saves.
Like Shumway, she had a big steal in the 68th minute when she cut off a pass between two Mustangs before hauling in a 35-yard rocket from sophomore Lauren Choi in the 71st minute.
“I think what we’ve been doing well so far this season is working hard. We’ve proven that we’re willing to work hard,” Hidalgo said. “Now, if we can start playing a little better, we’ll be set.”