Girls’ Soccer: Oilers strike back
The last time that the Huntington Beach High girls’ soccer team faced Edison, the Oilers might have felt like they let one get away.
Giving up a golden goal in the last minute of overtime is tough. But on Tuesday, the Oilers nearly returned the favor, down to the minute.
The Sunset League title is the thing that hasn’t yet gotten away from two-time defending league champion Huntington Beach.
Junior Remi Davison scored the golden goal with three minutes left in the second 10-minute overtime period as Huntington Beach upset Edison, 1-0, at Huntington Beach High. The result provided more intrigue in the race for the league crown.
With two games remaining, Edison (10-7-4, 6-2 in league) still leads the league with 18 points. But Los Alamitos (5-2-1 in league) is just two points back after earning a 2-0 victory over Newport Harbor on Tuesday.
As for Huntington Beach (13-7-6, 4-3-1 in league), the Oilers have 13 points and still have an outside shot for a co-league title. They jumped over the Sailors into third place.
Tuesday’s victory was definitely a sweet win for the Oilers, who had lost back to back overtime road games to Newport Harbor and Los Alamitos in their previous two games.
“I’ve always been a believer in this motto, ‘We don’t lose at home,’” Huntington Beach Coach Raul Ruiz said. “I think the girls, this time we had a little bit more fortune. This time, they capitalized on their chance in that overtime ... Anything can happen [in league]. The belief is still there.”
Davison scored a rebound goal to stun Edison, ranked No. 4 in CIF Southern Section Division 1. It came after junior Alijah Oliver crossed the ball in from the right, and it got to Anna Carleton in the left side of the box. Carleton was open, and she gathered herself before shooting.
The shot was blocked near the left post by Edison keeper Zoe Clevely, but Davison was able to stick it in on the rebound.
“[The defender] was tugging me and I just did whatever I could to get it in,” Davison said. “I felt like most of the game we were on their side, but in overtime it was back and forth. In the end, we just fought hard and made the goal. [It’s] big, because we’ve been on a losing streak.”
The Oilers did have more of the scoring chances throughout the game, starting with a penalty kick in the 11th minute, earned after freshman Xolani Hodel’s long throw-in into the box resulted in an Edison hand ball. But the penalty kick went wide left.
Huntington Beach kept getting chances, many coming on free kicks or corner kicks by sophomore Jenna Nighswonger. In the first overtime period, it was Huntington freshman Cina Wilson who had a chance from the left side just outside of the box. Clevely came out to challenge, but the shot got past her and was headed in, until it was cleared off the goal line by Chargers defender Emma Nichols.
Moments later, Clevely made a big save at the right post on a shot from up top by Nighswonger, and the first overtime ended. But the Oilers kept attacking.
“It was just like, ‘Finally,’” Nighswonger said. “We kind of were pushing on them the whole time, so it felt good to get one in. It was kind of payback [for the last meeting with Edison] and I think we deserved it. It’s always nice to upset your rivals, especially for the seniors. We all know how much it means to them, so we kind of just work hard for them.
“I think we’re finally mentally in the right place. Overtime is more of a test of your mental ability, so I think we’re finally able to control ourselves. Now, we can finally get the win.”
Huntington Beach produced the clean slate behind defense by goalie Rachel Harris, Katie Martinez, Brianna Barnes, Kekoa Nelson and Renee Wolfe. Martinez, a senior captain, clunked heads with Edison’s Michael Guptill in the game’s very first minute but was able to re-enter later in the first half.
For Edison, it was the Chargers’ second straight loss after starting league play with a 6-0 mark.
“They killed our rhythm with their game plan, and it was effective,” Edison Coach Kerry Crooks said. “They just play a more long ball game, it was just kick ball. We’re more of a passing team and not as good in the air, so it was a smart thing to do. When you have a team that’s not as good in the air, keep it up in the air, right? We need to learn how to fix that, play our game and not get frustrated.”
Edison plays against Newport Harbor on Thursday at Estancia High, while Huntington Beach is at Fountain Valley on Thursday.
The Chargers’ final league game, at home against Los Alamitos on Feb. 7, could have league title implications. The Griffins are guaranteed to still be in the hunt if they win at last-place Marina on Thursday.
“It’s kind of where I thought it would be at the end, all three of us battling to the end,” Crooks said. “That’s what makes it exciting. That’s why you play these sports, right?”
Twitter: @mjszabo
