NOT SO FAST, MELISA -- Four Eagle defenders swarm after Griffin star Melisa Roca. Jonatan Muñoz, InternationalThe Christian Learning girls varsity soccer team combined artful strategy with hustling defense to defeat International 1-0 Monday on the Griffins home field.
The game catapulted the Eagles from last place to second, and symbolized how far this team of largely new players has come this year. When these two teams met at the start of the season the Griffins had won 3-0.
Crafty Eagle Coach Larry Lindahl once again had his team in its swarming, hustling four-fullback “prevent” defense, which was able to choke off the International offense. On several occasions International’s star forward Melisa Roca tried to take charge of the ball with her back to the goal, looking for a way to turn and get a shot off as she has so often this year.
It didn’t work. Roca, and other International forwards, found themselves with an Eagle defender to the east and to the west, shutting off access. On one occasion Roca found herself facing four Eagle defenders who pushed her back whichever way she wanted to go, and then finally took the ball away from her.
The Griffins, meanwhile, were not looking so shabby on defense themselves. Christian Learning could penetrate into the International zone, but there would always be a defender (or two) between the girl with the ball and the goal area.
The first half was scoreless, and it was looking like the game could end that way until the Eagles got a throw in deep in the International end. The ball bounced around in front of the goal for a few seconds until Laura Lindahl put her foot into it and launched a high, hard shot into the right-hand side of the goal.
That gave the Eagles a 1-0 lead, and proved to be enough for the victory – though just barely.
In the game’s closing minutes the Griffins Roca finally got off a crossing shot that Fabiana Murillo vert narrowly missed knocking into the goal. Another hard (but long) shot by International was knocked down by Eagle goalie Tabitha Malloy, whose strong kicks helped to keep the ball out of her end.
