It was a cool misty morning at a Laguna Niguel Park some 80 plus miles south of La Crescenta that greeted the Crescenta Valley Soccer Club GU13 Team the weekend of June 11 – June 12. The girls took on solid teams, all vying for championship status in the Copa Laguna Cup. At the end of four tough contests, CV ended up taking home the trophy, winning its fifth consecutive championship.

The first contest was against the Pateadores of Irvine. CV began the game with a strong offensive attack. Ten minutes into the contest and the first corner kick from Rachel Bird to Dylan Harrow was the success the team needed to keep the momentum going. Just before the end of the first half, Bird scored with a far post penalty kick to take the score to 2-0.

The second half saw the Pateadores coming back strong trying numerous times to score, but CV’s Clare Shapiro stopped each attempt with the help of defenders Heather Turcios, Kayci Jatico, Sophia Bonanni, rookie Emma Tapp and Lauren Busta. Sarah Patrick, Amanda Burch, Reilly Benjamin and Izzy Arriaza-Costilla kept up the pressure against the Pateadores leading to Arriaza-Costilla scoring off a pass from Harrow. This brought the score to 3-0.

Shapiro broke the Pateadores focus on penalty kick and CV held on for the shut out win. CV got one more goal off solid passing from Harrow to Arriaza-Costilla to Annie Winton for the score. Final score 4-0.

The girls met a more difficult contest in game two against Laguna Niguel SC Blue. CV got off to a quick start. After two minutes of play, Sophia Bonanni passed to Harrow for the goal. Despite an increase in temperature that wore on all the players, just before the half Bird connected with another corner kick to Harrow who scored, finishing the game 2-0.

The third game was against the FC Blades. Arriaza-Costilla took a number of hits and tumbles but stayed strong. CV made several attempts to score – all blocked by the Blades. But then Burch passed to Bird who sent it to Sarah Patrick on the far side who popped a far post goal to take the lead 1-0.     MianneKim Zuiderveen and Turcios held the defensive line along with help from Winton, Busta, Tapp, Bonanni, Benjamin and Jatico. With less than 10 minutes left, Burch went to the goal for Shapiro who came out as a forward to help.

Shapiro took a couple of quick fouls and CV tried to score but with no luck. The Blades scored with only a couple of minutes left and ended the game in a tie 1-1.

The final match was J. Serra High School against Laguna Niguel SC Blue. CV knew that they would have to work to take home the trophy. The first corner kick by CV turned into a bombardment of enthusiastic but failed goal attempts. On a turnover by Jatico to Arriaza-Costilla was then stopped and turned by Patrick who cleared it to Bonanni and with a right foot into the goal CV took the lead 1-0.

The team continued to work together to hold the line as Laguna Niguel pulled all of its players back on defense as CV kept the ball in Laguna Niguel’s half of the field for most of the second half preventing a score by their opponents.

Contributed by Kenneth Shapiro

  CV soccer, JUNE 23, KENNETH SHAPIRO