Giannetti saves Esperanza in Aliso Cup final

ALISO VIEJO- Esperanza junior goalie Alyssa Giannetti knew a tournament championship rested on her ability to guess which side the final Dana Hills penalty kick shot by Rachel Edelstein was going to go and make the save.

Fortunately for the Aztecs, Giannetti guessed correctly and Esperanza took home the Aliso Cup.

The top-ranked Aztecs outlasted the Dolphins, 3-2, in penalty kicks after the teams played to a 1-1 regulation tie in the championship match of the Aliso Cup Tournament on Monday night at Aliso Niguel High.

 “I was focused on making the big save,” Giannetti said. “I was looking at the shooter and thinking that she had to pick a side and I guessed right.”

Esperanza (4-0-2) took home the Aliso Cup for the second time in the past three years, while stretching its match unbeaten streak to a county-best 46.

“Everyone shows up to knock us off, which is making us better,” Aztecs coach John King said. “We’re young and still making little mistakes, but if we can fix them, we’ll be a much better team.”

Esperanza was on the attack early and scored in the sixth minute as senior Katie Michel corralled a rebound off a corner kick by junior Rylee Baisden, and sent a shot past Dolphins senior goalie Kelly McCormick for 1-0 lead.

But Dana Hills (4-0-2) gained the offensive momentum shortly after that and maintained consistent pressure on the Aztecs defense throughout the rest of the first half and into the second.

The Dolphins appeared to tie the score near the midway mark of the second half on a goal by sophomore Emma Gullickson, but offside was called to negate the goal.

The Dolphins’ pressure finally resulted in the equalizing goal with less than four minutes remaining in regulation as Gullickson fished out a corner kick from senior Kaitlin Dickmann and sent a shot past Giannetti.

Esperanza had one final chance in regulation to win the match, but a shot by Baisden sailed just over the goal.

With the score tied at 1 in the penalty kick session, juniors Paulina Good and Jordon Pennino converted to give the Aztecs a 3-1 lead.

After Dolphins senior Desiree Bramlette cut the margin to 3-2, Giannetti jumped in front of a shot by sophomore Edelstein to clinch the victory and set off an Aztecs celebration.

“We have been playing phenomenally since the beginning of the season, but I don’t think we knew how to handle the pressure early which got the best of us,” Dolphins coach Sheena Jarvis said. “It was great to play against the defending champions and they (Esperanza) knew how to win.”