Dos Pueblos girls soccer suffered a 3-2 Channel League loss to Buena on Thursday night at Scott O’Leary Stadium in Goleta.
The Bulldogs (9-8-4, 7-0-4 Channel League) remained undefeated in league play and in first place with the win, while the Chargers (11-4-4, 6-3-2 CL) fell behind by one more game but maintained their second-place positioning.
It was a tale of two halves in the Goodland on Thursday, as all five of the game’s goals were scored in the first half and the second half went scoreless.
Brooklyn Hedricks got the Chargers on the board first with a quick goal in the fourth minute of play for the 1-0 lead. However, the Bulldogs netted the equalizer just six minutes ago to make it 1-1.
The back-and-forth continued in the opening half as Dos Pueblos’ Alma Basave scored in the 21st minute to put her team back ahead.
Buena struck right back and gained the momentum heading into halftime with back-to-back goals to take a 3-2 lead into the break.
Both sides made defensive adjustments at halftime and they paid off, as the back lines held strong for the final 40 minutes of play and the Bulldogs escaped with the one-goal win.
Santa Barbara High 3, Pacifica 1
The Dons pulled away in the second half for a league win over the Tritons on Thursday in Oxnard.
“A road win always feels great. Our first league win feels even better,” Santa Barbara High head coach Willie Sims said. “The team has been progressing all season towards having this type of game. Tonight, their performance was at the level the coaches have felt we could play at.
“Specifically, maintain extended periods of possession, create scoring opportunities and combine that with a solid defensive performance.”
Pacifica scored the first goal of the contest, but Santa Barbara High answered just before the end of the opening half with the equalizer by Paloma Valenzuela on a loose ball in the box.
The Dons continued to apply pressure in the second half and it paid off twice, as Sofia Lopez scored on a ricochet off a corner kick and Lanaya Solis fired a shot from 30 yards out that found its way into the back of the net.
Meanwhile, the Santa Barbara High defense shut out the Tritons in the second half to earn the win.
“The relentless work rate of Paloma Valenzuela, Lanaya Solis and Madeleine Savellano set the tone to start the game, and then everyone played their role,” Sims said. “We had so many players putting in the work tonight.
“On the defensive side, I want to acknowledge Gwyneth Blumer for her fearless and aggressive style, and Lena Fackler for her versatility playing center and outside back when needed.”
The Dons are now 2-8-5 overall and 1-7-3 against league opponents.
San Marcos 1, Rio Mesa 0
The Royals controlled the pace of play and earned a league win over the Spartans on Thursday in Oxnard.
“The girls played another complete game where they created several chances and were able to control the game defensively,” San Marcos head coach Miguel Vences said. “It’s a challenge getting a result there. Rio Mesa does a good job of being organized, and their physical play is able to disrupt a team’s rhythm, but our team was able to match their energy.”
Zeina Matni scored the game-winning goal for the Royals when she fired a shot through the hands of the Yellow Jacket goalkeeper in the second half.
The Royals’ defensive unit has been on a roll as of late, as this is their third shutout in a row. The backline of Lulu Aurell, Ella Valdez-Lindgren, Stephanie Carranza, Susie Leon-Catalan and Kimberly Arias led the way while Harlyn Griffin held it down in the net.
“They’ve done a great job in shutting teams down and making it extremely difficult for teams to get any clean looks on goal,” Vences said of his defense.
Laguna Blanca 4, Santa Clara 0
The shorthanded Owls dominated on both ends of the pitch in a win over Santa Clara on Thursday.
Despite playing with just 10 players, Laguna Blanca poured in four goals and hit the crossbar four times in an offensive outburst.
“We are moving the ball around great. Everyone was getting good touches and we created lots of opportunities,” Laguna Blanca head coach Jose Rodriguez said. “Great job to the team for playing a person short and staying strong throughout the game.”
Elle Harris dominated the early stages for the Owls, scoring in the seventh minute on a strong individual effort and again in the 24th minute off a corner kick.
Arden Blagden also scored in the first half, and Mia Bianchi rounded out the scoring with the lone goal of the second half.
The goalkeeping duo of Sandra Herron and Camila Cuevas split time in the net and secured the clean sheet.
Coastal Christian 2, Bishop Diego 1
The Cardinals fell at home in a non-league matchup with Coastal Christian on Thursday.
“As a team, we understand that we have a different philosophy for non-league contests,” Bishop Diego head coach Dillan Bennett said. “We want to compete, but we also want to use these opportunities to play everyone, try new play sets and give players the opportunity to try new positions.
“While we would have liked to have won the game, we walk away knowing a little bit more about the ability of our players and how they can get better as we prepare for two league contests next week.”
The Cardinals (2-8-2, 2-1-2 Frontier League) will be on the road against Ojai Valley on Saturday.