TIGERS SHUT OUT FLAMES IN SOCCER
Alexia Garcia got the ball rolling for Tokay.
Hannah Hauschildt topped off the scoring for the Tigers.
In between, Lodi played one of its best efforts in a Tri-City Athletic League girls soccer game against rival Tokay at Hubbard Field on Tuesday. But Tokay, in the hunt for the league’s final playoff spot, recorded a 2-0 win over the Flames, who remain winless this season.
The game was scoreless until the 13th minute, when Garcia, a senior forward, found a loose ball inside the box that just got past Lodi goalie Reese Odell at the north end of field. As Odell was away from the net, Garcia quickly booted the ball into the right side of the net that gave Tokay a 1-0 lead.
“I think Alexia is doing a fine job this year,” said Tokay coach Sam Gonzalez of Garcia, who had seven goals entering Tuesday’s game. “Alexia is doing what she’s supposed to be doing (this year).”
Then for the rest of the half, Lodi kept Tokay in check. Lodi players CeCe Chinchiolo, Jordan Meyers, Noelle Mason-Hohenthaner, Georgia Kelley, Gillian Donley, Shelby Yarbrough and Madison Howell played solid defense for the time in keeping Tokay from getting back to the net until the end of the game.
“I thought we played a pretty good game,” said Lodi coach Tim Stutz. “They come to practice and they still want to learn. It’s a project. It’s a process.”
To start the second half, Tokay (5-3 in the TCAL, 7-8) had two chances to put the game out of the reach against Lodi. Forwards Annika Hauschildt and Lauren Frisk each had a shot on goal; both in the 43rd minute. But Odell came up with the saves at the south end of the field.
In the 63rd minute of the contest, Frisk had possession of the soccer ball near the Flames’ net. Now inside the box, Frisk booted the ball to Garcia, who was now in the middle of the net. Then Garcia kicked the ball to her left side to teammate Haylei Johnson, a defender, who took the shot. O’Dell scooped up the ball at the left corner of the net and put the ball back into play.
“We knew that in order to beat this team, we have to keep the ball in our possession,”
Gonzalez said. “We have to be in tight spaces, but find that person who’s there and go from there, which we did.”
The only shot on goal Lodi (08 in the TCAL, 0-11-1) had in the entire game came in the 73rd minute. That was when Kelley
took a shot on goal. But Tokay goalie Madison Covey-Taylor came up with the save on the north end of the field.
“That’s been our problem all season,” Stutz said. “We’re just really young. At one point we had two seniors on the night, three at the most? (Georgia, striker Andrea Becerra and fullback Cameille Quinones.)
Another Tokay defender Cynthia Jimenez, who is one of the team captains, took a free kick in the 76th minute. The soccer ball sailed over a wall of Lodi players and Tokay defenders. That is when O’Dell came up with another splendid catch, securing the pop-fly ball and put the ball back into play.
Tokay scored its final goal of the game on a penalty kick. In the 78th minute, Hannah Hauschildt took the shot, as O’Dell dove for the ball. But Hauschildt was able to get soccer ball going into the opposite direction of O’Dell, hitting the corner of the net and gave Tokay a 2-0 lead.
The final two minutes led to a three yellow cards; two on Tokay players and one on Lodi.
Annika Hauschildt received the first yellow card after what appeared to have slightly shoved and mouthed off at a Lodi player after Hannah Hauschildt — Annika’s sister — booted the penalty kick.
Then approximately 30 seconds later, Lodi’s Kayle Nies was award a yellow card for what appeared to be saying something to a Tokay player that was within hearing distance of one of the three game officials. Garcia received the game’s third yellow card shortly afterwards approximately 20 seconds after Nies’ yellow card.
The win helps Tokay in the hunt to earn the league’s third playoff spot. Lincoln (4-3-1 in the TCAL, 16-4-1) took on St. Mary’s on Tuesday, and St. Mary’s came away with a 20 win. Tokay and Lincoln will play each other again on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at Hubbard Field.
“Everything is in the air,” Gonzalez said. “It’s either going to be us or Lincoln. Who’s going to want it more.” Contact Mike Bush at mikeb@lodinews.com. Follow on Twitter: @MBushLodiSports.