GIRLS' SOCCER: WEST RANCH'S RUN OVER CANYON ENDS WILDCATS' 17-GAME WINNING STREAK.

Byline: ERIK BOAL Special to the Daily News

STEVENSON RANCH -- Relinquishing a late two-goal lead in Friday's tie with Saugus might not have been the best outcome for Canyon of Canyon Country's girls' soccer team in its quest to regain the Foothill League title, but it was the worst-possible scenario for West Ranch in its bid to remain the area's lone unbeaten team.

The Cowboys built a two-goal lead at halftime Tuesday and didn't let up in the final 40 minutes, handing the host Wildcats a 3-0 loss to snap their 17-game unbeaten streak.

``Practice (Monday) was mostly preaching,'' said Canyon co-coach Eric White, whose team surrendered twogoals off corner kicks in less than 90 seconds in its 2-2 draw with Saugus.

``It's hard when you dominate for 80 minutes and play bad for a minute and a half and come out with that result. (Co-coach Keeli Paden and I) told them this is a tough league and nothing's going to be easy.

We weren't league champs last season and we still have a bull's-eye on our chest, so we have to get up for every game.''

Canyon (12-1-3, 2-0-1) didn't have any difficulty getting motivated to play West Ranch (16-1-1, 2-1), a first-year varsity program whose only brush with a potential setback came in a 1-1nonleague tie with Highland of Palmdale, when the Wildcats had to rally for a late goal to force the deadlock.

``Because they were undefeated, it was like `Welcome to the Foothill League,''' said junior Courtney Belsheim, who scored the Cowboys' first goal and headed a ball that led to Milan Cabrera's rebound goal just before halftime.

``(After Friday) we didn't want to let down. We needed to play to the whistle.''

Even with the three-goal lead and with its reserves playing the final 20 minutes, Canyon stressed the importance of keeping the pressure on West Ranch, which doesn't feature a senior on its 17-player roster.

Goalkeeper Danielle Michel stepped up to punch a well-placed West Ranch corner kick out of the penalty box in the 70th minute and Shannon Seidenglanz made a potential goal-saving slide tackle to knock the ball away from Gina Tumasone with less than two minutes remaining.

``I knew I didn't want a goal to go in,'' Seidenglanz said. ``Our offense came through last game and I know (our defense) didn't take care of our part. We didn't step up. We learned you can't count on the game being over when you think it's over. We were going to play to the whistle (Tuesday), even if it meant playing an extra five minutes.''

Following some early pressure by Seana Fenske, Jordyn Utvich and Tumasone, Canyon controlled the run of play for the next 40 minutes, before White and Paden cleared the bench.

Jessica Tondreau and Jessica Luevano gave the Cowboys a boost with their midfield play in the first half, leading to both Canyon goals.

Luevano's initial shot was deflected, leading to Tondreau setting up Belsheim's goal. Tondreau then delivered a corner kick in the 39th minute, which West Ranch goalkeeper Rebecca Seguancia made an acrobatic one-hand save on to deny Belsheim's header, before Cabrera tapped the loose ball in the open net.

Seguancia finished with seven saves, but the sophomore was caught off her line on Michelle Moore's goal in the 49th minute, in which the Cal State Northridge-bound forward chipped a right-footed shot over the goalkeeper's head in the upper-left corner of the net.

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Photo:

West Ranch's Jordyn Utvich, right, and Canyon's Haley Rebel mix it up during first period action Tuesday at West Ranch High.

David Crane/Staff Photographer

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