The Riverside Press-Enterprise
North outlasts Ramona in Division 6 playoffs
RIVERSIDE » Leilani Lepe and Laviana Vaipulu have a chemistry that is hard to deny.
North’s attacking duo set the Huskies girls soccer team on a path to the playoffs this season, and the pair set up each other’s goals in a 2-1 victory over Ramona on Wednesday night in a CIF Southern Section Division 6 second-round match between the crosstown schools.
“They’re our heart down the center and both of our goals came from them,” North coach Katie Rumfola said. “They’re both great players and huge pieces of this team.”
Lepe scored in the first half, and Vaipulu’s free kick goal in the 51st minute sealed the victory for North (14-2-4), which is unbeaten over its last 10 games.
“I just feel like (Vaipulu) is the G.O.A.T,” Lepe said. “We play really nicely together and I love being her teammate.”
Added Vaipulu, “(Leilani) and I have assisted each other a lot this year. So for her to score on my corner kick and for her to draw the foul and me score on the free kick, this is amazing. I’m excited for our next game.”
The Sunbelt League champions advance to play at home against Riverside Prep in the quarterfinals Saturday. The Huskies were 0-7-1 in the Sunbelt League last season and had only one victory overall.
“People finally are recognizing that we have something good going on here is really cool,” Vaipulu said.
Lepe’s well-timed leaping header from Vaipulu’s corner kick netted the opening goal in the 32nd minute for North, which was coming off a 4-0 victory over Elsinore in the first round.
“I saw it coming at me and I jumped really high,” Lepe said. “I felt like I was doing the high jump, and I saw the ball right in front of my face and I touched it and it felt really nice. I turned toward the goal and it was just past the goalie’s hand. It was beautiful. I was like, ‘Did I really just do that?’”
Oral Roberts Universitybound Alani Chaple tied the game three minutes from halftime, but Ramona (13-100) was unable to find a goal in the second half..
“Alani has done it throughout the season and we’ve been super fortunate to watch her play,” Ramona coach Veronica Mora said. “That goal was very much a replication of what she did for us all year.”
Ramona freshman forward Ayana Goodwin broke lines and dribbled through North’s defense before dishing to Chaple, who beat the last defender and powered a left-footed shot into the net.
“We knew Ramona was going to show up and it was going to be a battle,” Rumfola said. “We just told our girls to stick together and fight through it, be physical and be ourselves, and it was going to work out for us.”
In the second half, Vaipulu had a close-range shot attempt saved, but North pressed the attack and Lepe earned a foul 20 yards from goal.
“If ‘Lavi’s energy is up then our energy is up,” Lepe said. “She guides us through the game. We trust her.”
Vaipulu readied herself, took aim and laced a low, lined shot that beat Ramona’s three-person wall and sneaked inside the near post.
“I think the girls trust me and I trust them, and I think we feed off each other,” Vaipulu said.