Esperanza stays on a roll

SANTA ANA- Strong defensive efforts and clutch offensive performances have been the trademark characteristics of an Esperanza Aztecs team looking to successfully defend its CIF-SS Division 1 title.

That combination helped the Aztecs move a little closer to that goal Tuesday.

Junior Paulina Good scored the lone goal of the match off a rebounded save early in the second half, as the Aztecs blanked the Mater Dei Monarchs 1-0 in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs at Mater Dei High.

————————————————

• All CIF girls soccer playoff brackets (updated)
• OCVarsity Hot Shots from Tuesday's playoff games
• Mottram's goal helps Mission Viejo beat Edison
• Mandrich pushes Trabuco Hills into quarterfinals

————————————————

“This is a tough field to play on and we played great together,” Good said.

Three years to the day after Mater Dei handed Esperanza its’ last regulation playoff defeat, the Aztecs (22-2-4) extended its unbeaten streak to 18 consecutive matches with its second straight one-goal victory. Esperanza will take on Mission Viejo in the quarterfinals Thursday.

“Every time you step on the field against Mater Dei, you know it’s going to a big-time game,” Aztecs coach John King said. “I thought we did a good job of shutting down some of their top players.”

Esperanza established possession and was able to get deep penetration into the attacking third throughout much of the first half. Though the Aztecs managed to get six corner kick opportunities in the half, the Monarchs held them off the scoreboard behind the play of senior Sam Shaw, junior Alina Cheatham, and sophomore Maddie Bauer.

Mater Dei (13-5-5) managed offensive pressure late in the first half behind strong runs toward the net by juniors Devin Barrett and Megan Crossan, but were unable to convert and the match went into the intermission scoreless.

The Monarchs continued to attack off the second half kickoff, but a big kick save in front of the goal by junior goalie Alyssa Giannetti helped thwart the pressure.

Led by junior Katie Michel, Esperanza’s offensive pressure finally paid off in the 54th minute. After freeing herself of a Monarchs defender with a crossover dribble, Michel got off a shot that was batted away by Monarchs freshman goalie Julia Murphy.

But Good tracked down the rebound and blasted a shot into the upper right corner, giving the Aztecs the lead.

"We’ve practiced a lot on running through everything because a lot of the goalies we’ve played haven’t caught the ball firmly,” Good sad.

The Monarchs nearly tied the match in the final 10 minutes, but a free kick by Shaw that bounced over Giannetti’s head sailed just over the crossbar.

Mater Dei’s offense continued to produce pressure in the final moments of the match, but Giannetti and senior Elise DeJesse each made crucial plays to help wrap up the victory for Esperanza.

“They (Mater Dei) are a very good team and it wasn’t easy for us to get this win,” Michel said. “We have a big target on our back, but we just have to go out there, play our game, and keep having fun.”

Monarchs head coach Matty West credited the Aztecs for capitalizing on their best chance of the second half.

“They (Esperanza) took advantage of an opportunity and made the most of it,” West said. “I was proud of how hard the girls worked in this game and throughout this season.”          

Also in Division 1:

Santa Margarita 4, Harvard-Westlake of North Hollywood 0: Senior Lauren Bohaboy tallied all four goals to lead the Eagles (23-4-2) past the Wolverines (14-3-4) at Harvard-Westlake.

Tesoro 4, Newport Harbor 0: Jamie Turchi, Taylor Thurmond, Cailey Starck, and Victoria Russo scored as the Titans (15-2-6) blanked the Sailors (8-13-3) at Newport Harbor.

In Division 2:

Sunny Hills 3, Glendora 2: Junior Alex Ishihara scored two goals to lead the Lancers (19-4-4) past the Tartans (16-7-4) at Glendora.

In Division 3:

Pacifica 1, Los Altos of Hacienda Heights 0: Senior Katie Kennedy's first-half goal was the difference, as the Mariners (14-6-3) beat the Conquerors (19-4-4) at Pacifica.

In Division 6:

Ocean View 1, Northview of Covina 0: A first half goal from junior Aleanna Vargas helped the Seahawks (13-8-3) beat the Vikings (20-5) at Northview.