Jaguars outrun Lady Knights, 6-0
The Cooperative girls varsity soccer team began the defense of its title with a convincing 6-0 defeat of a gritty Cambridge team on the Jaguar field Tuesday.
Freshman Tania Landivar scored three times for the Jaguars, who also got goals from Cecelia Aponte, Fernanda Vaca Diez, and Aldana Roda.
The game started slowly, with both teams getting some early opportunities, but without forcing either goalie to make an heroic effort.
Passes by both teams floated lazily on the the August breeze, withneither offense showed much discipline. For a while it looked as if the teams might be heading for a scoreless tie, which happened once last year.
Gradually the balance swung in favor of the Jaguars, who had the wind with them, and Aponte finally got the scoring started shortly before the end of the half .
She took charge of a rebound during a melee in front of the Cambridge goal, and popped the ball into the net.
The half ended with the Jaguars holding a 1-0 lead, and much of the second half would pass before the Jaguars finally rolling and started breaking through the Cambridge defense with regularity.
Landivar put another point on the board for the Jaguars when she broke away from a defender, dodged past Knight goalie Raquel Lopez, who had come out to meet her, and whacked the ball into the right side of the net.
She got her second goal goal when a long crossing shot went in and out of Lopez' hands, landing at Landivar's feet.
Less than a minute later Vaca Diez took a little pass that got her past the Cambridge defense, carefully settled the ball, then knocked the ball home.
The score went to 5-0 on Landivar's third goal, which was set up by a clever pass from Roda, after Lopez had been pulled out of position.
Roda scored the final goal when, with an adroit flip of her hip, she deflected a corner kick by Landivar into the goal.
Despite giving up six goals, Cambridge's Lopez played well in goal, making a number of remarkable sliding saves. She didn't have much of a chance on most of the Jaguar goals. The Jaguars also had a number of near misses.
Cambridge's offense consisted of several exciting forays by speedy Moira Vaca, but she was never able to shake off all the Jaguar defenders (though she tried), and rarely had a teammate open for a pass.
There were no penalties.
HERE IT COMES -- Griffin Melisa Roca uncorks a pass goalward. Jonatan Muñoz, International
Griffin girls down Lady Eagles, 3-0
The International varsity girls soccer team defeated Christian Learning 3-0 Tuesday on the the Griffins home field.
Melisa Roca scored to give the Griffins a 1-0 lead at halftime. After the intermission International added goals by Fabiana Murillo and Natalia Suarez. Roca received a yellow card.
