PV tops JSerra, advances to first CIF final since '16
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO >> Palos Verdes brought the offensive artillery and scored four goals in a game for the first time in two months to clinch a spot in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 final.
The Sea Kings will be making their first appearance in the final since 2016, thanks to Saturday's 4-2 win over JSerra.
PV (19-3-1) will face Eastvale's Roosevelt on Saturday at a time and location to be announced.
“I think overall our team as a group played really well,” PV coach Joe Flanagan said. “To have a fourgoal outburst, which we haven't really been doing a lot of, to get into a final, it was awesome.”
Defender Maddy Herniter and forwards Gemma Pappas, Madi Steinbach and Jenna Edgar scored PV's goals in a team effort that helped defeat a JSerra team that that presented the threat a pulling off an upset.
Pappas opened the scoring for PV 17 minutes into the match with a composed finish after pouncing on a loose ball in the attacking third.
The Lions' nerves got the best of them during a five-minute lapse after that goal. Steinbach gained possession from defender Jordan Jackman, leaving the forward on a one-on-one against goalkeeper Kai Berry. Steinbach managed to round Berry with ease and slot the ball into an empty net for a 2-0 lead after 22 minutes.
“I think the nerves kicked in this game,” JSerra coach Anjel Brown said. “We haven't been this far in quite a few years so they can feel the weight of this game and I think that got us a little bit.
“We gave up two goals quickly and were forced to play catch up from there.”
Despite the lack of composure on the defensive end, JSerra earned its way back into the game just before the break. Forward Peyton Marinos forced her way through two defenders and scored on sophomore goalkeeper Anna Pilato.
Early in the second half, though, Edgar regained control for the Sea Kings, restoring their two-goal lead with a goal to make it 3-1. Sophomore forward Kate Ryan led a counterattack that ended with Edgar receiving a pass in stride before finishing the rush, beating Berry for PV's third goal.
The hosts continued to fight and cut the lead to one, 3-2, for a second time. JSerra won a scramble in the box that resulted with the ball in the net with 18 minutes remaining.
“We got that second-goal cushion pretty quickly after they got close,” Flanagan said. “We responded in those critical moments really well.”
The match was settled with 9 minutes left when Herniter scored the goal of the game with a strong header from a corner-kick set piece.
“From not even making it to CIF last year,” Pappas said, “it's amazing to see how our team has connected and put all that work together to get here.
“We're a hard-fighting team and we're not going to give up until the end.”