(Video by Marissa Garcia)
The Sunny Hills Lady Lancers advanced through the first two rounds of the CIF Southern Section Division 2 playoffs by shutting out their opponents. on Friday they were the ones shutout and beaten 1-0 by Moorpark.
Though the Lady Lancers continued their defensive form from previous games for most of the game, they were unable to hold off the Moorpark offense in the CIF Southern Section quarterfinal game.
Despite the go-ahead goal not coming until the final minute, the Lady Musketeers almost went ahead early in the game.
In the first quarter hour of the game Moorpark forward Jalynne Magana received a cross in front of goal but sent her strike above rather than in the net.
In a half where they outshot Sunny Hills, Moorpark made goalkeeper Monica Balos come up with a big save to keep the game tied.
The sophomore kept the game even when she swiped away a long range free kick shot that had taken a dangerous bounce towards the goal.
Balos was called upon a few time in the half but not often due defensive play by the Lady Lancers which made many Moorpark crosses and passes in the final third ineffective.
Offensively Sunny Hills sought to make chances through the long throw-in and corner kicks.
Chances from set pieces were few and far between for the Lady Lancers. Moorpark repelled and cleared anything put into their penalty box on most occasions.
One of the few set pieces Sunny Hills was able to make a chance that nearly put them ahead.
Moments before the final whistle of the half Lady Lancers Emily Miramontes sent a low close range strike on target but it was not enough to beat Lady Musketeers goalkeeper Courtney Worstell.
The Lady Lancers(20-4-4) had few if any clear chances in the second half as Moorpark took control of the game.
The Lady Musketeers exerted offensive pressure early in the half by keeping the game in the Lady Lancers half through prolonged periods of possession and taking shots from both in and outside of the box.
Sunny Hills defensively arose to the challenge Moorparks increased intensity posed by consistently blocking and clearing shots and passes.
Without consistent possession the Lady Lancers forwards had little to do offensively in the half, and captain Sierra Chhoeung dropped back into midfield to add to the team’s numbers behind the ball.
Chhoeung provided a moment to move upfield for the Sunny Hills defense when she created counterattack on her own by dribbling the ball from her own final third into the Lady Musketeers final third.
The junior forwards play culminated in a strike that was caught by Worstell.
After the counterattack Moorpark (20-1-2) continued to control the ball and though Sunny Hills had not conceded at that point, the Lady Lancers suffered a blow to their defensive efforts in the last quarter hour.
Team captain and defensive leader Kendall Hart, who was their top playoff scorer, had to leave the game due to injury.
With their defensive leader out their goalkeeper stepped up to keep the game even.
Balos came up big for Sunny Hills when she deflected away a cross-turned-shot that would’ve been the go ahead goal if not for her intervention.
As the clock neared its final minutes every Sunny Hills player came back to defend in their final third in an effort to keep the game tied and force it into overtime.
The Lady Lancers team defensive setup withstood the constant attacks of the Lady Musketeers for the most part, but a moment of indiscipline by Chhoeung looked to cost them game.
In the final few minutes of the match Moorpark earned a penalty kick after Chhoeung took down Teresa Fontenot a few feet if not inches inside the penalty box.
Sarah Hernandez was the designated spot kick taker for Moorpark.
In need of another big save to keep the game tied, Balos delivered again and controlled Hernandez low kick towards the center of the goal.
Balos penalty stop kept the game on course to go to overtime, but one of the final plays of the game changed everything.
In the final minute of the game Moorpark forward Alyssa Shelton received the ball in the penalty box and despite being challenged by a few Lancer defenders Managed to get a shot off.
Her strike was powerfully placed towards the top corner of the goal and past Balos, who could do little to stop it, to give Moorpark a 1-0 late lead.
With the little time remaining the Lady Lancers earned one last throw-in in the Lady Musketeers final third.
Miramontes got to it in the box but her header went wide of the goal and the final whistle blew without another kick.
“The girls burning desire to get to the next round was the key,” said Moorpark Head Coach Michael Alexander about the team’s second half performance.
Sunny Hills Head Coach Jeff Gordon felt the team “defended well” but was “unlucky at the end.”
Moorpark will play Vista Murrieta on Tuesday in the semifinals.