HUNTINGTON BEACH – After winning a league championship last season, Canyon’s girls soccer team felt some frustation as went winless in its first five games this season.
A strong first half on Tuesday changed that.
Canyon scored twice in the first half and weathered a barrage of shots by Edison in the second half to beat the fifth-ranked Chargers, 2-1, in a nonleague game at Edison High.
“When you lose key players, it’s always hard to build up what we had last year,” Canyon coach Pedro Santos said after the team’s first win of the season. “I was telling them the weeks before, even though we were losing games and haven’t found the way to win that we were on the right way. As long as they stick to the principles and the philosophies that we’re trying to implement here, things will happen.”
Canyon (1-4-1) was able to enact its principles of possession soccer thanks to an early strike.
Edison (5-2-2) failed to clear the ball up the right side, and Megan Dias took the ball up the right flank for a cross. Illiana Hocking collected the ball and put it through for a 1-0 lead in the eighth minute.
Canyon limited the Edison chances through the first half, and the Comanches got what would be the decisive goal in the final minutes of the half.
Jennifer Rose got the ball at the Canyon back line, went all the way up the field and executed a give-and-go with Penelope Hocking for the two-goal advantage at halftime.
“I heard Pedro tell me to keep pushing up,” Rose said. “(Penelope) gave me a great ball. I hit a first-time shot and scored. It was really a great team goal.”
Edison was disjointed in the first half as it players tried to adjust to stepping into starting roles or playing out of position. Many of the Chargers regular starters were not at the game due to trips out of town or injuries.
“It’s OK,” Edison coach Kerry Crooks said. “It gave a good chance for some people who don’t get a lot of playing time to play. It took some adjustment, but I think after they got through the first half and dominated play.”
Edison earned six corner kicks in the second half and Crooks felt the Chargers got at least 10 quality chances on the net.
Edison finally got on the score sheet in the 57th minute.
Madison Crowley got the ball deep up the left side and sent the ball into the box. The cross skipped through to Michel Guptill who finished the chance to half the deficit, 2-1.
“It was a great breakthrough for us as far as they came through in the second half and just really showed they’re able to play,” Crooks said. “Even with the players in different positions and the changes we had to make, they adjusted, which is what you want from your team. That’s what preseason is about.”
Edison and Canyon now turn their attention to the Excalibur Tournament, which starts Dec. 27 at Foothill High.
