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RISKY CATCH -- Knight Mako Ueno (23) catches Fernanda Gutierrez' smash. The flagrant foul earned Gutierreza a penalty shot, but the Cambridge goalie blocked it and so the tactic paid off. Jonatan Muñoz, International |
Griffinettes take charge early
By Trevor Reed
Christian Learning
The International girls junior varsity soccer team defeated a Cambridge team with only eight players Tuesday on the International home field.
The win puts International into the JV championship game against Cooperative
Due to their lack of players,the Knights started the game off playing very defensively. The Griffins dominated in ball possession, and the ball stayed on the Knight's half of the field for most of the first half.
The Griffins were finally able to break through the Knights' defense after many attempts as a loose ball in the penalty box was shot, rebounded, and then shot again for a goal Sophia Sciaron.
Soon after, the Griffins struck again, with Antonia Maggi intercepting a short goal kick and kicking it past the goalie and through the legs of a defender for a goal.
Later in the first half, the Griffins had another shot on goal, but a Knight caught the ball (rather than taking a hit right in the face) for an obvious foul and penalty kick. The Knights goalie blocked the penalty shot, however.
The Griffins were back a short while later, with Sciaron scoring her second goal of the game to make the score 3-0 at the half.
In the second half, both teams played with eight players, and this evened the playing field. Cambridge was much more successful. They carried the ball into enemy territory numerous times and kept the Griffins from increasing their lead. However, the Griffins still dominated play with many close shots, including one that bounced off the crossbar and almost straight down.
Late score gives win to Jaguars
The Cooperative junior varsity girls soccer team snatched a 2-1 victory over Christian Learning with a goal by Michelle Lederman in the closing minutes of the game.
The win by the Jaguars sets up a JV championship game pitting them against the International Griffins. the same two schools will clash in the varsity championship.
The Jaguars and Eagles had battled to a 1-1 tie in their previous meeting this season, and seemed to be heading for the same result in this game before Lederman capped a breakaway play when she took charge of a centering pass and banged it into the goal. Before then neither team's attackers had been able to escape the defense.
Maria Paula Aguirre had put the Jaguars ahead in the first half when she had been able to ricochet a crossing pass into the goal. Eva Brown had evened things up for the Eagles with a goal early in the second half.
