Charles Rich
Its old bugaboo showed up for a second consecutive year.
A lack of offensive production prevented the Crescenta Valley High
girls' soccer team from winning the Hart High Holiday Soccer Classic,
this time against Valencia.
CV surrendered three second-half goals Monday in a 3-0 loss to the
Vikings in the tournament's championship match at Newhall Hart High.
*--*
BOX SCORE
*--*
*--*
Valencia 0 3 -- 3
Crescenta Valley 0 0 -- 0
*--*
*--*
VALENCIA
Link (penalty kick, 59th minute), Malkowski (Scalercio, 71st minute), Scalercio (78th minute). * Saves: Martinez 1, Domel 1. * Cards: Holloway (yellow, 74th minute), Kirst (yellow, 79th minute).
CRESCENTA VALLEY
none. * Saves: Peters 8. * Cards: Cardenas (yellow, 53rd minute).
*--*
The Falcons (7-5-1) -- who suffered their third shutout in five
tournament contests and their fifth this season -- competed without
star attacking midfielder Rachael Rigamat, who has been suffering
from flu. Rigamat, who played sparingly in Friday's pool-play
matches, didn't travel with the team again Monday after missing both
contests Saturday.
Valencia (12-0-2) prolonged CV's frustrations, scoring the
match-winning goal in the 59th minute on a penalty kick by Alex Link.
Officials ruled that CV's Carol Cardenas tripped Link just inside the
penalty box, awarding her the penalty shot.
First-year Falcon Coach Andrea Otero said the call discouraged CV,
which dropped a 2-1 decision to Woodland Hills El Camino Real in last
year's title contest.
"It's disheartening when you are in the [match] and then there's a
call like that," Otero said.
"I didn't think it was a blatant trip, but the referee has the
discretion in those calls, and it could've gone either way."
CV sophomore goalkeeper Sarah Peters got a piece of Link's shot
attempt in the lower right corner, but couldn't corral the ball.
"I was hoping to get that shot," said Peters, who made eight
saves.
"There's nothing I could do but try to deflect it.
"We played well in this tournament, and 3-0 doesn't reflect how we
played."
Valencia -- which finished runner-up in CIF Southern Section
Division II last season, losing to Westlake, 2-0, in the final --
posted its 12th shutout this year, including Saturday's 2-0 victory
against El Camino Real in the semifinal.
The Vikings rarely allowed the Falcons to put together two crisp
passes in a row.
"We defend from our forwards back," Valencia Coach Tony Scalercio
said.
"That way, we could make their play predictable, and we can stay
patient."
Danielle Malkowski and Kierra Scalercio wrapped up Valencia's
scoring with goals in the 71st and 78th minutes, respectively.
The Vikings' patience on defense helped limit the Falcons -- who
sorely missed Rigamat's playmaking ability -- to two shots on goal.
