No. 9 Sunny Hills repeats as Freeway League champions

FULLERTON-Timely goal scoring and a strong defensive effort in the second half helped No. 9 Sunny Hills successfully defend its Freeway League title against its' biggest rival.
    
Senior Alex Ishihara scored the match-deciding goal in the second half, as the Lancers edged the Troy Warriors 2-1 Tuesday at Troy.
    
“We respect Troy because they are a team that can challenge us and it’s a battle every time we play them,” Ishihara said. “You can see the rivalry and this was like a CIF playoff round for us.”

Sunny Hills (25-1, 9-0) will look to complete an undefeated run through league when they close out the regular season Thursday against Fullerton.
    
“We knew we would have to weather their storm and play a little chess on defense to move people around and keep their skill players under control,” Lancers coach Jeff Gordon said. “Once we matched-up and possessed a little more in the second half, the game turned in our favor and the girls stepped up.”
    
Troy (9-8-3, 6-2-1) had the first scoring opportunity of the match three minutes into the first half, but a shot by senior Natalia Vasco sailed just over the crossbar.

Sunny Hills took a 1-0 lead in the fifth minute. Troy junior Rachael Wix and Lancers senior Marina Thomas each chased down a ball sent down the middle of the field by Lancers senior Brittany Aanderud. Wix tried to clear it away from Thomas, but Thomas deflected the ball back toward the goal, chased it down, and booted a shot past Warriors senior goalie Karina Martinez.
 
“I knew we needed an early goal to stop their momentum and get us going,” Thomas said. “We are a team that usually does much better when we get off to a fast start.”
    
But behind Vasco, junior Shea Hoover, sophomore Kaycee Hoover, and senior Lauren Dandie, the Warriors offense managed to maintain strong possession and make several deep penetrating runs into the attacking third throughout the remainder of the half.
    
The Warriors tied the match in the 28th minute. Off a corner kick into the box by Shea Hoover, Dandie controlled the ball and hit a shot to the left of Lancers sophomore goalie Maggie Morales and into the corner of the goal.
    
Dandie’s defense helped ensure the match stayed tied heading into the intermission, as she used her body to block three Lancer shot attempts in the final six minutes of the first half.
    
Sunny Hills opened the second half with pressure into the attacking third and Ishihara provided the game-winning goal in the 48th minute. Receiving a pass from teammate Kimi Gonzalez, Ishihara shielded her body away from a Warriors defender, and hit a line drive shot past Martinez and into the near corner of the goal.
    
“I knew that if I could just shield the defense, I could get a shot past her and I made it,” Ishihara said.
    
The Lancers defense sealed the victory with a strong effort in the second half, not allowing the Warriors sustained possessions and the opportunity to create scoring chances.
    
“All year long, we have won and lost games based on how we defend 1v1 and that was the case today,” Warriors coach Ed Kephart said.