No. 2 Los Alamitos prevails in clash with No. 1 Esperanza
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The Griffins win, 1-0, and claim share of Sunset title as Simien strikes again for them.
Freshman forward Shannelle Simien is making a habit of coming up big when her Los Alamitos teammates need her the most.
Simien scored the game's lone goal moments into the second half, and the No. 2 Griffins held off No.1 Esperanza to win, 1-0, and claim a share of the Sunset League girls soccer title at Laurel High in Los Alamitos.
The Griffins (18-5-3, 8-2-0) and the Aztecs (18-3-2, 8-2-0) will be recognized as co-league champions, though Esperanza will be the league's No. 1 seed after winning a coin toss.
“It was an amazing effort by our team to beat our league rival,” Simien said. “It's great to know my coaches have confidence in me to make big plays.”
Said Griffins coach Steve Soler of Simien: “She has become a go-to player for our team and is not afraid to take over a game.”
It was a tight and physical battle from the outset, and the Griffins and Aztecs battled to a scoreless tie in the first half.
Simien, along with forward Katie Suits and midfielder Greer Wilk, led a Griffins attack that created scoring chances early in the half but none of them produced a goal.
Their best chance came midway through the half, when Suits sent low line drive kick that narrowly missed the left corner of the net.
The Aztecs, who were without their leading goal scorer, Lauren Kennedy (illness), and their second-leading goal scorer, Courtney Garcia (ankle), managed to create a few scoring chances late in the half.
Sophomore forward Erika Mazeau challenged the Griffins defense on multiple occasions with her speed down the sideline. However, the Griffins defense was up to the task, managing to stop the Aztecs from setting up their offense.
The Griffins cracked the scoreboard less than six minutes into the second half, as Wilk sent a great pass down the middle to Simien, who managed to maneuver through a couple of Aztecs defenders and send a line drive just past the reach of goalie Megan Bartlett.
The Aztecs continued to press hard to create opportunities in the second half, but hurt themselves with their inability to clear the ball from the Griffins' attacking third, as Wilk, Suits, and defender Katie Peterson continually gave the Griffins extra possession with their hard hitting defense and hustle to loose balls.
Soler credited his team with keeping a simple approach to the biggest game of the regular season.
“I told the team to have fun and enjoy the moment, and they did that,” he said.
Despite the loss, Aztecs coach John King believes his team will be ready for CIF competition.
“We just have to put this one behind us,” he said. “As long as everyone on our team does their job, we'll be OK.”
In other girls soccer:
Troy 1, Sunny Hills 0: Dani Applerose scored in the 12th minute as the host Warriors (20-2-3, 7-2-1) slipped by the Lancers (14-7-3, 7-2-1). The teams finished as co-champions of the Freeway League.
Contact the writer: jeichelberger@ocregister.com
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