CV girls’ soccer wins ninth straight this week, is first in league.

Alan der OHANNESSIAN

The Crescenta Valley girls’ soccer team is riding high currently. The Lady Falcons beat Hoover 3-0 on Monday and Pasadena on Wednesday by a score of 5-2.

The win pushed CV to a 9-2-1 record overall (its ninth straight win) 6-0 in the Pacific League.   Lisa Kang had two goals against Pasadena, and received scoring elsewhere from Sierra Rhodes, Ani Hemelians and Rachel Bird, her seventh of the season.

On Monday at Hoover, CV   got off to a slow start Monday afternoon against Hoover, but managed to take control of the match late.

“It’s a little rocky out there. They had lot of defenders on the back so we couldn’t get the plays we were looking to get,” said Falcons Coach Jorden Schulz.

Defender Olivia Bird made a cross-pass to forward Tiffany Austin inside the 18-yard square, but the Tornadoes defense deflected it out of the danger zone.

With the Falcons in full attack mode, they eventually got on the scoreboard for an early lead.

Senior midfielder Whitley Boller took a pass near Hoover’s goal and nudged it past for her first goal, one of two on the day for Boller.

“We should’ve played to their formation … figured it out a lot faster,” said Schulz. “Fifteen minutes [in] and we got a goal.”

Boller scored again on a corner kick as she imposed her will on the defenders, diving for a header that blasted past the goalie for a commanding 2-0 lead. Had it not been for bad luck, she would have scored at least two more goals. On a similar corner kick, her header deflected off the top bar, and another time her kick hit the same bar.

“Whitley played a great game,” said Schulz. “She’s always our ‘go-to’ girl.”

The situation only worsened for the Tornadoes as the Falcons were awarded a penalty. Bird remained composed and put it to the left side of the goalkeeper for a 3-0 lead. The goal was Bird’s second of the season.

The Falcons’ defense, led by. goalkeepers Emily Johnston and Samantha Lizer, has been superb all year. CV has scored 36 times to eight goals allowed, by far the best in the Pacific League.

On Monday, CV’s offensive control allowed them to have at least 14 shots at the goalkeeper, while their stifling defense prevented Hoover from posing a real threat to their net.

The match depicted a tale of two different teams, the Falcons riding a seven-game winning streak and brimming with confidence while the Tornadoes have yet to post a single win this season (0-4 in league, 0-5 overall).

Despite the success, Schultz remained grounded.

“It’s one game at a time,” she said. She emphasized the importance of humility. “You have to come out and play each and every game the way you should play.”

The Falcons host the Arcadia Apaches on Friday at 3:15 p.m. Arcadia is second behind CV in league.

  ALAN DER OHANNESSIAN, Sports