Webb’s Cook scores playoff winner in OT
The bump up to Division 3 proved to be a challenge for the Webb girls soccer team.
It completed the first challenge in the CIF Southern Section playoffs, barely.
Senior Abbey Cook scored in the 92nd minute to lift the Gauls to a 2-1 overtime victory over Brea Olinda on Wednesday afternoon at Webb.
Webb (15-1-2) went undefeated in winning CIF-SS Division 6 and CIF SoCal Division V regional titles last year and didn’t play a playoff game that was decided by fewer than three goals until either final. Webb will play Marina in the second round Friday.
“We knew it was going to be tough when we got into the playoffs,” Webb coach Malick Mbengue said. “At the end of the day, it’s playoffs. You have to show up to win.”
It was a triumphant finish for Cook, who was frustrated for much of the game. She assisted on the game’s first goal, but didn’t score until sudden-death overtime. It was her 40th of the season and 140th of her career, which according to the CIF-SS record book ties her for eighth all-time.
“It was definitely a relief,” Cook said. “Especially after I had scored earlier in the overtime when I didn’t believe it was a foul. So I had to do it twice.”
Cook scored on a header off a corner kick in the 88th minute, but a foul was called, nullifying the goal.
For the game winner, Noe Chock made a nice pass to Cook down the left side. As usual in the game, Cook had two defenders on her. This time she dribbled past the defenders and slid a shot past goalie Genevieve Dauphin with her left foot. It hit off the inside of the far post and into the goal.
“I kind of questioned it at first,” Cook said. “I didn’t think it was going to go in. Then it went in and it registered that it was a golden goal because I thought we were going to have to defend for five minutes. I wasn’t sure if it was going to hit the post and bounce out or bounce in.”
Webb got off to a great start when Cook’s cross to Jasmine Beseth just more than two minutes into the game gave the Gauls a 1-0 lead.
Webb searched for a second goal in regulation, but couldn’t get one. Beseth had a half-volley that was saved by Dauphin in the 47th minute. Cook hit one off the post in the 57th minute.
Brea Olinda (8-10-4), which defeated Esperanza 1-0 in the regular-season finale last week to qualify for the playoffs, got the equalizer in the 79th minute when Payton Dunbar rocketed a shot from straight out into the back of the net.
“Our girls just believe,” Wildcats coach Mike Knaus said. “They’re going to continue to battle. I”m super proud of them. We could’ve been done after the first goal and they weren’t.”