California High School Soccer - Soquel held off by Scotts Valley
January 26, 2010: Soquel, CA 95073 In Tuesday's league battle, the visiting Scotts Valley Falcons soccer squad scored a close 1-0 triumph over the Soquel Knights.
The Falcons (8-2) will now prepare for their battle against St. Francis (Watsonville, CA). The Sharks come into the SCCAL battle with a 2-8 record. In their last battle, St. Francis was edged by San Lorenzo Valley (Felton, CA), 5-3, in a league battle.
The Knights (3-4) will now prepare for their battle against Aptos (Aptos, CA). The Mariners come into the SCCAL battle with a 7-4 record. In their last battle, Aptos was edged by Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz, CA), 2-0, in a league battle.
First Half
On January 26, 2010 the Scotts Valley Falcons played the Soquel Knights at Soquel High School. The game was played under cloudy skies and good field conditions. The Knights had a record of 4 wins and 3 losses all together this season. The Knights have a very solid team with good speed.
The first half started with both teams playing hard and aggressive. The Falcons had many opportunities to score but were not on frame. The Falcons had 2 shots on goal the first half while the Knights had 0 shots on goal. The first half ended with the score, Falcons 0 to Knights 0.
Second Half
The second half was played with intensity and a relentless attack on the Knights goal by the Falcon ladies. The Falcons scored in the 58th minute when Kailey Payne headed the ball into the back of the net after Brittany Kuo fired off a nice cross following a foul. The Falcons consistently mounted an attack and kept the Knights on a defensive mode. The Falcons had 8 shots on goal the second half while the Knights had 2 shots on goal. The game ended with the score being Scotts Valley 1 to Soquel 0.
The Falcon defense once again played a superb game stopping the Knights attack. The defenses speed, quickness and tight play was a deciding factor in the game. The defense was led by senior captain Brittany Kuo, senior Kelsey Baskovich, sophomore Kalynn Morano and freshman Kacey Lilly. The defense was anchored by goalkeeper, freshman Emily Johnson who had 2 saves during the game and registered her 7th consecutive shutout. The Falcon ladies defense registered their 8th shutout in 11 games.
Overtime
The Falcon midfielders played strong and gave the Knights players all they could handle. The midfield was led by senior captain Kailey Payne, sophomore captain Jordin Carlson, junior captain Aly Bothman, senior Amy McDowell, freshman Madison Black and senior Michelle Hunter. Also contributing was sophomore Ranae Maloney.
The Falcon forwards were constantly making runs and pressuring the Knights defense. The Falcon forwards were led by sophomore Emily Payne, junior Keara McCullough and sophomore Taylor Rohde.
The Falcon ladies played a good game against a well prepared and focused Knights team.
