WINNING GOAL -- Jaguar Michelle Lederman (14) sends the ball past Eagle goalie Rebekah Kienzle for second Jaguar goal.Carlos Paredes, Cooperative
Jaguars finally beat Eagles, take cup
The Cooperative girls junior varsity soccer team defeated Christian Learning in the championship game Thursday afternoon on their home field, 3-1.
The win marked the first time that the Jaguars had defeated the Eagles this year. Both of the two previous meetings had ended in ties, and with Christian Learning winning extra-point penalty shootout.
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LOOKING TO PASS -- Jaguar Michelle Lederman (14) tries to find an open teammate. She later scored twice.
Julia Boldt, Cooperative
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Giovanna Varalta opened the scoring for the Jaguars dribbling the ball to the left corner of the penalty box and unleashing a shot that beat Eagle goalie Rebekah Kienzle to the far side of the goal.
Eagle standout Emily Ordoñez had two excellent opportunities to even the score. An just-in-time deflection by Jaguar goalie Fabiana Andrade thwarted the first. The second, right off the kickoff of the second half, hit the goal post.
The Jaguars netted the next goal when Michelle Lederman took the ball at midfield, outran the Eagle defenders, and won a one-on-one confrontation with Kienzle by knocking the ball to the goalie's right, making the score 2-0 for the Jaguars.
Each team had several near misses, and then Ordoñez got another chance, and the fleet-footed redhead was not denied this time. Sailing at full steam into four defenders she let loose a shot that Andrade tried to kick save. The footwork was there, but the timing was off, and the ball scooted under her outstretched leg like a croquet ball going through a wicket to make the score 2-1.
The Jaguars added an insurance goal a short while later. Varalta took charge of a throw-in deep in the Christian Learning end and uleashed a centering pass that Lederman banged into the goal.
Cooperative threatened again, but Kienzle made the necessary saves. The game ended right after the Eagles just missed on a free kick.
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WINNING TEAM -- Jaguars pose with trophy and coaches.
Carlos Paredes, Cooperative
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The line-up for the championship-winning Jaguars was Varalta, Maria Fernanda Flores, Megumi Kamiya, Marcela Netzlaff, Andrea Chavez, Giuliana Varalta, Maureen Harrison, Jessica Maureira, Bianca Marinkovic, Lederman,
Samantha Bennett, Andrade, and Cassandra Morales. The co-coaches are Olivia Mercado and Heath Kondro.
For the runner-up Eagles it was: Sandi Wilcke, Samiua Dajbura, Kienzle, Jessica Suarez, Bright Chin, Tamara Vargas, Ordoñez, Ivana Velarde, Isabela Diaz, Emily Mercado, Veronica Apodaca, Shikenah Miranda, Elizabeth Suarez, and Camila Salgueira, Ester Chun, Roxann Malloy, and Jessica Schroeder. The coach is Keith Wilcke.
