SCL title will likely go through Sebastopol
Things are heating up on the high school girls soccer pitch, as El Molino and Analy kick off the Sonoma County League campaign.
Both teams opened the SCL schedule with matches against tough opponents, with the Tigers pulling out a 3-2 squeaker over visiting arch-rival Petaluma, while the Lions were on the short end of a 1-0 loss at Sonoma Valley.
At press time the ladies were preparing to resume league action, with El Mo (4-1, 0-1) visiting Petaluma on Sept. 13, followed by a home clash with Elsie Allen on Sept. 15 (6 p.m.). The Lions will travel to Piner next Tuesday, Sept. 20 (4 p.m.).
The Tigers (5-2, 1-0) were preparing for a two-game road swing starting on Sept. 13 at Elsie Allen, followed by a Thursday, Sept. 15 visit to Piner (4 p.m.). Analy will host Healdsburg on Sept. 20 in a 7 p.m. varsity start.
Lions in a rout
The Lions enjoyed a dominant night in their Sept. 9 non-league meeting with visiting Fort Bragg, jumping all over the Timberwolves in an 11-0 offensive explosion.
El Mo torched the net with goals from Kristine Daniels (2), Carly Hittenmiller (2), Chloe Kliegl (2), Cynthia Hernandez, Lily Dittman, Victoria Briano, Bridget Nicleas and Risa Scott-Smith.
On Monday, the Lions opened the SCL schedule at Sonoma Valley, with the teams battling on even terms before the Dragons tallied a late goal to pull out a 1-0 victory.
“We played well and battled,” El Mo coach Emily Farrant reported. “It was a phenomenal game by our goalkeeper Bridget Nicleas, who had save after save. Our back line of Grace Anderson, Kristine Daniels, Chloe Kliegl and Areli Alvarez kept it scoreless until the second half. They definitely left everything on the field,” she added.
Tigers edge Trojans
As usual, the road to the SCL title will likely go through Sebastopol, as Analy played host to Petaluma on Sept. 8 in a battle of the projected top two teams.
“Petaluma is always a tough game both physically and mentally,” Tigers coach Brittney Briones said. “To have them as our first game of league play is tough, but the girls rose to the challenge.”
The match did not disappoint, as both defenses yielded a first half goal to knot the contest at 1-1 at the break. The battled raged on in a hotly contested second half, but the Tigers managed a pair of goals and held off a furious Trojan rally to pull out a 3-2 victory.
“We had great ball movement and everyone appeared to find their stride,” Briones noted. “Petaluma really came on strong in the second half and put us on our heels, but the girls dug down and found a way to win.”
Analy goal scorers included Tannin Klunis, Amanda Nebozuk (PK) and the game winner from Emily Grietch. Assists went to Claire Brown and Laney Klunis.
