Girls soccer edges out Marina High School, improves record to 9-1-2

By Lacy Cano
Staff Writer

With all its club players back, the Mira Costa girls soccer team came out victorious on Tuesday, Dec. 18 with a 2-0 win against Marina High School, improving its preseason record to 9-1-2.

Early on, the two teams seemed evenly matched, with neither able to gain a clear advantage. Both of the teams maintained possession for the majority of the first half ending in a 0-0 stalemate.

“We got off to a slow start because we didn’t have many shots on goal in the first half,” sophomore Megan Carver said. “We fought and played through the wind which really impacted the game and was difficult at some points.”

The Mustangs came out strong in the second half, particularly in the last 20 minutes of the game. The girls maintained possession for the majority of the time, which lead to an increased number of break-aways and on-target shots on goal.

“Even though we got off to a slow start, we pushed hard in the second half and started playing our game,” junior Mandy McKeegan said. “We were able to take advantage of a couple key opportunities and most importantly, finish them.”

The team’s first goal came in the first half from sophomore forward McKenna Doyle, with the assist from freshman Hannah Watkins. Building on the Mustangs’ lead, junior Savanna Sartini assisted senior Taylor Foland for the team’s second goal minutes later.

“I think our success eventually came down to us taking our opportunities by settling to the game down and keeping possession,” junior Kimby Keever said. “We finally managed to find our rhythm.”

The weather, which proved to be a major obstacle, played a dramatic effect on the game by noticeably influencing passes and shots on goal. The Costa coaching staff kept this factor in mind while making pre-game decisions.

“We used the weather as part of our strategy,” assistant coach Amanda Cross said. “We went against the wind in the first half so that it would be in our favor for the second half, giving us a lot of momentum.”

The team will play today in a home game against El Segundo at 3 p.m. at Waller Stadium. It will be the final preseason match.

“The girls did a great job of coping with the conditions,” head coach Patty Perkinson said. “This was our second-to-last game of the preseason so it was nice to get a win to push us into league.”