STUDIO CITY – The Harvard Westlake girls soccer hoped to shake its playoff ghosts after the last four seasons ended with losses in penalty kicks.
There was optimism Thursday as the Wolverines hosted Huntington Beach to open the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs, but the Oilers slowly snuffed it out with a 3-0 win.
As the rain fell after the match, Harvard Westlake’s players consoled each other while Huntington Beach, which will play San Clemente on Tuesday, celebrated while taking pictures.
“We felt like the underdogs coming in, but we felt like we dominated,” junior defender Brianna Barnes said.
Harvard Westlake (13-4-1) trailed 1-0 at halftime, but Huntington Beach (18-7-5) found breathing room in the 48th minute. After a Wolverines defender headed a pass backward, Xolani Hodel found space between three defenders and headed the ball to Alijah Oliver, who scored just past Wolverines keeper Lindsay Avant.
“I just tried to get it over and hoped someone was back there,” Hodel said.
The 6-foot freshman also scored twice as her size and footwork caused problems for Harvard Westlake’s back line. Her first goal was a shot from just outside the penalty box that bounced off the crossbar and down behind Harvard Westlake keeper Avant in the 14th minute.
Hodel added a second goal in the 70th minute when she took a pass from Anna Carleton and found the bottom right of the net.
“The momentum just came after the first goal and then it just kept happening,” Hodel said.
Harvard Westlake had several chances to the game in the first half. Its best came in the 35th minute when Bridget Stokdyk’s goal was waved off because she was offsides. Stokdyk appeared to be in perfect position when Paige Howard delivered a pass, but the linesman thought otherwise.
“I couldn’t see it from my angle so I couldn’t tell,” Harvard Westlake coach Richard Simms said. “That and the first goal were two calls we didn’t get.”
Twice Harvard Westlake had scoring chances with an empty net after Huntington Beach keeper Rachel Harris made saves, but the Oilers’ back line recovered to clear away Harvard Westlake’s shots.
“That’s always been our key all season. We just work hard and cover each other,” Barnes said.
With Huntington Beach keying on slowing down Howard, Harvard Westlake struggled to put together successful attacks in the second half. Although the Wolverines ended the year Mission League champions, another playoff heartbreak proved hard to take.
“Things just didn’t go our way and their defense made some key blocks when their goalie got out of position,” Simms said.
