No. 1 Soccer Rank Is in Sight for CSDH

Cal State Dominguez Hills Coach Marine Cano didn’t want to commit himself Saturday afternoon after the Lady Toros had beaten defending NCAA Division II champion Cal State Hayward in the season’s biggest women’s soccer match so far.

So it was up to Hayward assistant Coach Kulwant Singh to put his team’s 2-1 loss in Carson in perspective.

“Dominguez Hills is in the driver’s seat” for earning one of only four playoff berths available nationwide for the Division II finals, said Singh, subbing for Coach Colin Lindores, who did not make the trip for personal reasons.

Dominguez Hills dominated the match, allowing Hayward just three shots to its 25. Only the score made this one seem close.

Too close, in fact, for Cano, who watched as Hayward did not get a shot off in the second half.

“This could have been a monstrous victory,” he said. “We need to go back to the drawing board. We have got to put teams like this away.”

Only one team from each geographic region of the country will be chosen for the Division II finals, which will be held in November at the site of the nation’s No. 1-ranked team.

Because Dominguez Hills plays an independent schedule, head-to-head competition plays a crucial role in determining the final four. Dominguez Hills entered the game ranked No. 2 in the nation and No. 1 in the West, yet Cano and assistant Coach Paul Krumpe said the meeting with Hayward on Saturday would be a make-or-break contest.

The race on the West Coast has shaped up as a three-team battle, with Hayward now dropping behind Dominguez Hills and Sonoma State. Earlier in the year, Dominguez Hills beat Sonoma State, 2-1, while Sonoma State tied Hayward, 0-0.

Before the season began, Cano predicted that a team with more than two losses would be history. Saturday’s loss drops Hayward’s record to 5-4-2.

“We’ve still got a good shot,” countered Singh.

If the teams continue to play at the pace they set Saturday, injuries could be a big factor. In all, 40 fouls where whistled, one player from each team was red-carded (ejected) and another pair from each received yellows (warnings).

In addition, Lady Toro fullback Darlene Dattel was taken to a local hospital for X-rays after a collision with Hayward’s Gina Gillich.

Hayward, outshot 16-3 in the first 45 minutes, took a surprising 1-0 lead at the 13-minute mark on a direct kick by Wendy Gilley, a fullback from Livermore. Lady Toro goalie Chris Pezzulo, bidding for a school-record 10th shutout, lost the ball as it left Gilley’s foot and traveled over a wall of Dominguez Hills players.

Dominguez Hills got even 28 minutes into the game on a header by Kristi White, who recorded her 11th goal of the year on a rebound off the crossbar from Lenore Johnson’s 20-yard kick.

Johnson had a goal called back just before the half when Dominguez Hills was detected offside, but the Lady Toros grabbed the lead for good 17 minutes into the second half when Jeanine Charroux hammered in a loose ball in front of the net. It was Charroux’s first goal of the year.

The Lady Toros play at UC Santa Barbara, ranked No. 3 in the nation in Division I, on Monday.