The Los Alamitos celebration came to a screeching halt when the Griffins’ players and coaches simultaneously noticed the sideline official’s flag had been raised, calling for a goal kick instead of a goal.
Junior midfielder Rachel Posner knocked in what would’ve been the match winner in the sixth minute of overtime, but when the pass she received near the endline was ruled out of bounds, the goal was nullified.
“I’m pretty sure I was at the 20-yard line, sprinting out there to be at the bottom of the dogpile,” Griffins coach Haley Bolt joked after the match.
While neither No. 8 Los Alamitos nor No. 2 Huntington Beach was given another opportunity to rejoice, both were content with a scoreless draw in a Sunset League match at Los Alamitos High on Tuesday night.
“Los Al is no joke at home,” Oilers coach Raul Ruiz said. “They’re a very difficult team and they play really well on their home turf. But I felt we came here and did what we had to do.”
By earning a draw, Huntington Beach (14-1-6) remained at the top of the Sunset League standings with a 4-0-3 clip. Los Alamitos (11-7-5) is behind the Oilers in second with a 4-1-2 mark.
“We’re still in it,” Bolt added. “Anything can happen these last three games.”
Huntington Beach goalkeeper Kate Hart was magnificent in net, finishing with nine saves, consistently denying the Griffins who spent a good part of the night inside the Oilers’ box.
With the game scoreless at the conclusion of regulation, two 10-minute overtime periods ensued, which saw both clubs nearly net game-winners.
Oilers freshman forward Alijah Oliver just missed the net on a ball served up on a corner kick from teammate Olivia Covert in the fourth minute of overtime.
Two minutes after that, it appeared Posner netted the golden goal, rifling the ball top shelf on a pass she received from the end line.
The side official, however, ruled the ball had gone out of bounds, nullifying the goal and what would have been Los Alamitos’ celebration.
Also in the Sunset League:
No. 6 Edison 1, Fountain Valley 0: The Chargers (10-3-5, 2-1-4) snapped a four-match winless streak. Mikayla Edwards broke a scoreless halftime tie with a scoring strike in the second half, and Zoe Clevely’s five saves preserved the win for Edison.
In the Orange Coast League:
Laguna Beach 1, Estancia 0: The Breakers (7-6-4, 5-2-0) won on Regan Caraher’s strike in the 77th minute of play. Laguna Beach earned three critical points in the standings, keeping its dream of a league title alive.
In the Century Conference:
Yorba Linda 1, Esperanza 0: Junior striker Jacque Dunlap scored the winner in overtime for the Mustangs (6-6-5, 4-0-0).
Contact the writer: kconnolly@ocregister.com
