Girls’ Soccer: Breakers toppled in CIF quarterfinals
The drive to reach the CIF Southern Section girls’ soccer semifinals came to a halt last week for the Laguna Beach Breakers.
Laguna’s bid to make the Final 4 was stopped by visiting Chatsworth Sierra Canyon, which took a 3-1 Division 5 quarterfinal round victory Feb. 26 at Guyer Field.
Laguna scored in the 30th minute, an unassisted goal by Christine Johnson. The sophomore midfielder challenged a defender 40 yards out from the net, won possession of the ball and when the goalie charged out, Johnson chipped the ball over the keeper from 30 yards for a 1-0 lead.
Senior keeper Kylie George recorded eight saves for the Breakers.
Laguna, the No. 3 entry to the playoffs from the Orange Coast League, completed an 11-7-5 season. The Breakers had reached the quarterfinal round by knocking No. 2-seeded Hemet, 2-0, from the playoffs Feb. 24.
Laguna was making only its second appearance in a CIF quarterfinal game, Coach Bill Rolfing said.
Rolfing called the Sierra Canyon matchup a “tough pairing” for his team. The Breakers faced five of the top 10 teams in Division 5 in the final weeks of the season, he said.
“Sierra was a formidable opponent to meet at the quarters, but (the Breakers) never gave up,” he said.
Sierra Canyon won its semifinal game Tuesday, 1-0 over Alta Loma, and will meet Whittier La Serna in the division final Saturday.
“This year’s team sees the graduation of four special four-year varsity careers,” Rolfing said.
“Janie Crawford, Amy Hewlett, Audrey Pillsbury and Kylie George, helped bring home two Orange Coast League championships and four trips to CIF playoffs. More importantly, they exhibited the dedication, talent and enthusiasm to lift the girls’ program to the new heights it now enjoys. Their example will certainly inspire the next wave of players anxious to lead varsity to success.”
Twitter: @MikeSciacca