Carpinteria High had a huge advantage in shots on Tuesday but Thacher prevailed on the scoreboard, 3-2, in a non-league girls soccer game in Ojai.
The Warriors (2-4) took an early 1-0 lead when Cydney Smolnikar slotted a ball past the keeper in the first five minutes. The Toads scored late in the first half to make it 1-1 at the break.
“It was a tough result for us,” said coach Charles Bryant. “I did not keep track of shots but I would say it was about 30-4 in our favor. We just could not finish so many of our opportunities. When we scored in the first five minutes, I thought, here we go, we are going to start to get a rhythm and will keep putting pressure on them and getting some results. We put a tremendous amount of pressure on them but just could not buy a goal. They got a ball behind our outside back and scored from a tough angle late in the half.”
The Warriors took a 2-1 lead when Erika Estrada bent in a corner kick in the second half.
“The second half was even more dominant as we were playing in their half about 95% of the time,” said Bryant. “Their tying goal came with about eight minutes to go as it was another ball played behind our defenders and another well finished ball by the Toads. The winning goal came with just a few minutes to go. I needed to make a few tactical changes and tell them what I wanted to do but I was too late to do it in time. Those last two goals should not have happened and I will take the blame for not adjusting in time.”
Bryant said the Warriors have a tough stretch coming up with games against Oxnard, Lompoc and Beverly Hills twice on Dec. 20 & 21. They’ll travel to Oxnard on Thursday at 5 p.m.