Flintridge Sacred Heart soccer taken out in first round

LOS ANGELES — This season, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy soccer saw a return to the playoffs and a return to the sideline for co-coaches Frank Pace and Kathy Desmond.

The Tologs hosted Los Osos at Occidental College in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division I playoffs Thursday and the game was scoreless after regulation despite both squads having numerous scoring opportunities. The contest seemed destined to go to a penalty kick shootout, but three minutes before that came to be, the Grizzlies converted a penalty kick and Flintridge Sacred Heart lost, 1-0, ending its season.

PHOTOS: Los Osos ends Flintridge Sacred Heart’s season with 1-0 first-round victory

“It was a good game,” Pace said. “The girls gave it all they had. I thought they played great.”

In the 97th minute of play and just three minutes before the end of the second 10-minute overtime period, Tolog Caroline McCreary stepped across Grizzly speedster Jasine Smith just inside the top corner of the box and Los Osos (15-6-4) was awarded a penalty kick. Jessica Staehler took the shot and converted it for the golden goal and the victory.

“It was probably whoever made the sixth mistake,” Pace said. “We probably had five opportunities to score. They probably had five opportunities to score, but we couldn’t overcome the sixth mistake, the penalty kick in the box. This will make them better. We didn’t think we were going to lose.”

Staehler’s winning penalty kick was a low driving shot that went up the middle, just getting past Tologs goalkeeper Vivi Ocon.

“I just wish one of our shots had gone in,” Ocon, a junior, said. “That was just an unjust way to lose.”

The second half saw three separate stoppages due to Los Osos players going down on the field, resulting in 16 minutes of injury time added on. The second stoppage was 12 minutes, due to a broken nose suffered by Los Osos senior Kryssa Johnson.

“It was tough. [Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy] is a great team,” said Los Osos Coach Diego Back, whose team was the No. 3 entry from the Baseline League. “There were a lot of injuries. We persevered.”

Flintridge Sacred Heart (10-6-5) outshot the visitors, 9-6, in the first half. The final three came in a flurry in stoppage time and two required saves from Grizzlies keeper Anne Bailey. The first was a high floating shot that was punched away as it tried to sneak under the bar. The rebound came down in the box near Tolog Sam Brown, who appeared to push the ball across the line before it was cleared away, but no goal was awarded. The clearance didn’t go far and the Tologs got one more shot on frame, but it too was saved.

“We’re a young team and for us to hold our own with a team like that and have the better play at times, I’m optimistic for what the future looks like,” Pace said.

Flintridge Sacred Heart’s best scoring chance in the second half came in the opening minutes, when Amethyst Trang found herself one-on-one with Bailey. Trang uncorked a quality shot low and to the right of the keeper, but Bailey reacted and stoned Trang inside the box to keep things scoreless.

Neither team had a shot in the first overtime. In the second the Tologs had one shot, but Sarah Vail’s attempt sailed over the goal.

“We were in a position to win five minutes into the second overtime,” Pace said. “That is all we can ask of the girls.”