PHS girls soccer falls just short in showdown

The Porterville High girls soccer team and the Redwood Rangers had a fierce battle that ended in a hard fought Panther loss 2-1 on Tuesday. The Panthers came in as the East Yosemite League’s No. 2 team while Redwood was the top team.

The Panthers and the Rangers were greeted by a line of fans along the pitch that gave many cheers through the game. The game started with a rapid series of passes by the Rangers that pushed the Panthers out of the center circle and deep into the penalty area. The Panthers kept their heads cool however, and soon pushed back with Zyraihna Suarez taking the ball out and around and passing it over to Ashley Rodriguez. Rodriguez and Suarez passed the ball back and forth as they pushed the Rangers away from their goal.

Rodriguez made a smart pass to Hailey Allen as she was confronted by three Rangers. With the pressure on, Rodriguez’s pass made it to Allen and she ran to midfield. Allen made a fast pass to Kim Angeles who took the ball and sped towards the Rangers goal. Angeles moved quickly but was confronted by two Ranger defenders and passed the ball to Jasmine Gutierrez. Gutierrez had an easy pass back to Angeles as the Rangers split off. Angeles took the shot but the Rangers keeper snatched it out of the air.

The game was hot as the temperature cooled, but the Panthers kept running. The Panthers keeper Nayeli Orosco made a number of saves during the game and kept the Panthers out of trouble during some intense Ranger presses. Orosco leaped to the save as a Ranger attempt brought the ball hurtling to the top right of the Panthers goal; saving another goal for the Panthers.

The game was still 0-0 late into the first half, as the Rangers had their first successful press. A miscalculation by the Panthers let the Rangers get control of the ball, right next to their own goal. The Rangers kicked and scored, taking the first goal of the game.

The Panthers had a brave play taking the ball out as they pressed deep into the Rangers territory. A pass from Orosco to Suarez started the Panthers off. Suarez dashed by two Rangers as she kicked the ball to Karina Villanueva. Villanueva was quickly set on all sides and had to pass to Aliyah Ortiz. Ortiz had her work cut out as well and with three Rangers close by she made her move and snapped the ball over to Allen.

Allen had little time to spare as she dashed down the pitch and into the Rangers penalty box and passed the ball to Celeni Angeles. Angeles was right in front and with a fast kick she sent the ball into the net. With cheers the Panthers brought it to a tie but the Rangers had one last goal before the whistle blew, bringing the game to an end with a hard fought 2-1 final.

“We had a hard game tonight but we still have a lot of fire left in us.” Panthers Coach Jacob Rivas said. “We’re looking forward to putting our nose to the grindstone in practice for these next few games. We’ve proven we can win against these teams and it’s time to reaffirm it. Our team is full of talented young athletes who love the game and we’re aiming to go to the playoffs.”

The Panthers next game is away against the Golden West Trailblazers on Thursday at 6 p.m.