SOCCER NOTEBOOK: TOUGH TEST IS COMING FOR O.C.Byline: Erik Boal Special to the Daily News The Oaks Christian of Westlake Village girls' soccer team faced the least resistance in its path to reaching the semifinals in the inaugural Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, Regional tournament, but the Lions won't have it as easy today against Francis Parker Francis Parker commonly refers to Colonel Francis Wayland Parker (1837-1902), a champion of progressive education in the United States. Francis Parker also refers to three schools named after Parker's dedication to progressive education:
Oaks Christian's 11-0 victory over Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies (also Sherman Oaks CES or SOCES) is a (magnet) public school in the San Fernando Valley, Southern California, United States. of Reseda in its Div. III opener was the team's 12th in a row, but it also marked the last match this season that sophomore Kelly Johnson and freshmen Ally Courtnall and Jaci Mello would play for the Lions because of club soccer commitments Wednesday or this weekend. "Obviously not having them hurts, but we still have a lot of girls who can score," Oaks Christian coach Jan Hethcock said. "I think (beating) Downey (in Saturday's Southern Section Div. V final) was our best game of the year, and the girls are peaking when they need to peak." In preparation for today's contest, Hethcock took Courtnall, Johnson and Mello out of the lineup less than 10 minutes into Tuesday's match to experiment with different lineup combinations in the midfield and at forward, relying on freshmen Brittani Gardella, Kirsten Jakob, Missy Milano and Marlo Smith. Pepperdine-bound talent Kelsea Smith, who normally plays opposite Courtnall at forward, was moved into the central midfield to compensate for the loss of Johnson. "We moved Kelsea back and we scored three goals in five minutes," said Hethcock, who will rely on Marlo Smith and sophomore Samantha Nordlund -- who combined for five goals against SOCES SOCES Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies -- to replace Smith at forward. "If our kids come out strong, then we'll be OK. But my freshmen will come ready to play, I can promise you that." Playing short-handed against Francis Parker is nothing new to Oaks Christian (23-3-2), which is winless in two all-time meetings against the San Diego Section Div. IV semifinalist. In previous matches against Lancers lanc·er n. 1. A cavalryman armed with a lance. 2. A member of a regiment originally armed with lances. 3. lancers (used with a sing. verb) a. A kind of quadrille. b. (16-2-5), the Lions have been missing top players Caitlyn MacKechnie and Nicole Sweetman, now both at UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX . "It's never easy playing against Parker," said Hethock, a former coach at Christian High in San Diego. "Winning the title was our main goal, but this is a caveat and I told the girls, 'Let's not squander squan·der tr.v. squan·dered, squan·der·ing, squan·ders 1. To spend wastefully or extravagantly; dissipate. See Synonyms at waste. 2. the opportunity.' It would be a great experience to play Saturday (in the regional final)." T.O. tries to solve Turpen If the Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. girls' soccer team has aspirations of knocking off a second nationally ranked opponent in three days, the Lancers will need to find a way to score against one of Southern California's top goalkeepers in San Clemente's Hannah Turpen. Although El Camino Real El Camino Real (Spanish for The Royal Road or The King's Highway) was the name of a series of pre-automobile highways linking the various New World colonies of Spain:
Turpen also secured a 1-1 tie Saturday in the Southern Section Div. I final against Long Beach Wilson by making a diving stop late in regulation. "I'll take them all," San Clemente coach Stacey Finnerty said. "Every day she comes up big. She's a unique specimen and I'm extremely lucky to have her." Thousand Oaks also has a proven goalkeeper in senior Laura Brain, who made several clutch saves Tuesday to shut out previously unbeaten Torrey Pines of San Diego, the nation's top-ranked team. erik.boal@dailynews.com |
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