Cooley's goal puts Ocean View on top in Golden West

SANTA ANA- With her team locked in a 1-1 tie in the final moments of Monday’s Golden West League showdown with Segerstrom, Ocean View senior Melissa Cooley had one simple thought as her team prepared for a corner kick opportunity.
    
“I was thinking I didn’t want to go into overtime, I wanted to win in regulation,” she said. “I wanted to take advantage of the situation and touch the ball no matter what.”
    
Cooley’s execution on touching the ball ensured there would be no overtime and that her team would move into sole possession of first place, as she scored the match-winning goal in the Seahawks’ 2-1 win over the Jaguars at Segerstrom High.
    
Ocean View (16-4-1, 6-0) is now alone in first place by a game over Segerstrom (10-2-1, 5-1). Both teams have four matches remaining in league play, including a rematch in the regular season finale on February 9th at Ocean View High.
    
“We’ve been down in a lot of games this year, but the girls have always found a way to come back,” Seahawks coach David Deaton said. “This win was huge and the girls are learning how to keep playing with heart.”
    
Both teams came out looking for the early advantage and it was the Jaguars nearly took the lead in the ninth minute. Alondra Novoa found space in the defense and managed to get off a shot that floated just over the crossbar.
    
The Seahawks began to find their attack late in the first half and took a 1-0 lead in the 36th minute. Junior Danni Dapello sent a pass over to senior Kelley Dooley near the top of the box. Dooley found an open space and floated a high line drive over the head of Jaguars goalie Marissa Flasco and into the back of the net.
    
Ocean View threatened to increase the lead early in the second half, but two key saves by Flasco helped keep it a one-goal deficit.
    
Segerstrom began to re-establish pressure in the attacking third midway into the second half and nearly tied the match in the 68th minute, but Seahawks freshman goalie Malia Hayes slapped a shot away from the goal with a dive to the right to thwart a Jaguar scoring attempt.
    
However the Jaguars would tie the match in the 71st minute, as Renee De La Torre floated a pass into the box for Vivian Vega who headed a shot just pass the outstretched hand of Hayes and into the goal for her 21st goal of the season.
    
Ocean View appeared ready to recapture the lead in the 75th minute when senior Aleanna Vargas broke free on a breakaway down the middle of the field. But her subsequent shot attempt rolled just wide of the far post.
    
Then on a corner kick opportunity one minute later, Vargas sent a ball into the box that Cooley managed to control and bounce a shot past Flasco and into the goal to give Ocean View a 2-1 lead.
    
“I touched the ball, it bounced off my knee, and it went it,” Cooley said. “As a team, we wanted to win and we put all of our effort out there.”
    
The Jaguars had a final chance in the final minute, but Hayes stopped a shot by Genesis Rodriguez to help close out the win.
    
“After they scored, I was pretty bummed because it was a savable goal,” Hayes said. “I was just telling myself to not let anything else in because we would get it back and win.”
    
Jaguars coach Imelda Nava credited Ocean View’s hard fought effort and said her team understood that the Golden West League race is still not over.
    
“It was obvious they (Ocean View) wanted it a little more and were more aggressive,” Nava said. “They are the team to beat now, but I told the girls afterward that the race is not over and we have another match against them.”