Andrew Fasano
Staff Writer
Mira Costa girls soccer lost, 2-1, in an away game against Newbury Park High School in the second round of California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section playoffs on Tuesday.
In the beginning of the first half, Newbury Park was able to score the first goal of the game off a cross, causing the Mustangs to fall behind early. However, just before halftime, senior forward Michaila Franklin was fouled by a Newbury Park defender in the penalty box, allowing junior center midfielder Viviana Villacorta to step up and score a free kick.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t make it as far as we would have liked to,” Villacorta said. “We played well and definitely deserved to go further in my opinion, but we were unable to finish.”
As the Mustangs entered the second half, they were able to hold off the Panthers’ offense despite their early fall. The Mustangs cleared the ball up the field and applied high pressure to stop the Panthers’ quick counter attacks, co-captain Caroline Keever said. Midway into the second half, the Mustangs conceded another goal and fell behind, 2-1, and were unable to make a comeback.
“We were all working very hard the entire game and gave it our all,” Keever said. “We gave our best efforts to win every ball in our territory.”
The Mustangs finished the year with a 6-3-1 Bay League record and 17-5-1 overall record.
“We had a strong group of girls who had great chemistry and fought hard all season,” coach Amanda Cross said. “Next year, I hope that we can continue improving, and we always look to get farther in CIF.”
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