The Bonita Vista Barons received some help from the Chula Vista Spartans in solidifying their hold on first place in the Metro Conference girls field hockey standings and then cashed in themselves with a 5-0 victory at Otay Ranch on Wednesday to secure this year’s league title.
Chula Vista defeated Otay Ranch, 1-0, last Friday to further muddle the league standings. With their victory, the upstart Spartans improved to 2-4 in conference play while Otay Ranch dropped to 4-2 — two games behind Bonita Vista in the loss column with three league games remaining.
Bonita Vista entered Wednesday’s game at Otay Ranch 5-0 in Metro play.
Hilltop shut out Eastlake, 2-0, last Friday to push the Lancers to 2-3 in league play while the Titans dropped to 1-5 in league play.
Mailyn Nishiguchi led the Bonita Vista attack on Wednesday with two goals. The decisive victory gave the Barons a perfect 6-0 record in league play with two games remaining, and thus eliminated the Mustangs (4-3 in league play) from championship contention.
Wednesday’s game at Hilltop between Chula Vista and the host Lancers was cancelled due to poor air quality resulting from wildfires in Tecate fueled by strong Santa Ana winds, leaving those teams further behind Bonita Vista.
Bonita Vista hosts Hilltop on Friday and concludes Metro play with a match at Eastlake on Wednesday, Nov. 9.
In other league games, Eastlake is scheduled to play at Chula Vista on Friday while Hilltop will host Otay Ranch on Nov. 9 with second place still much up for grabs as teams make a wild dash for posititoning for the upcoming CIF playoffs.
As Metro champions, the Barons automatically secure a spot in postseason play.
Bonita Vista clinched last year’s league title with one game to play in the regular season schedule and repeated as league champs with two games to play in the regular season this year.
Nishiguchi scored three goals in the Barons’ 7-0 victory over visiting Chula Vista on Oct. 26 and Samantha Montoya and Zoe Montoya each scored goals in Bonita Vista’s 2-0 win against visiting Eastlake on Oct. 21.
Otay Ranch stepped forward as the Barons’ prime challenger in league play after edging Hilltop, 3-2, in a game on Oct. 21. Audrey Py, Kassie Becerra and Lauren Cekander each scored goals for the host Mustangs while April Burnett and Kasey Simonds scored single goals for the Lancers.
Metro Conference Standings
(Through Nov. 2)
Bonita Vista Barons 6-0
Otay Ranch Mustangs 4-3
Hilltop Lancers 2-3
Chula Vista Spartans 2-4
Eastlake Titans 1-5
Friday, Oct. 21
Bonita Vista 2, Eastlake 0
Otay Ranch 3, Hilltop 2
Wednesday, Oct. 26
Otay Ranch 2, Eastlake 0
Bonita Vista 7, Chula Vista 0
Friday, Oct. 28
Chula Vista 1, Otay Ranch 0
Hilltop 2, Eastlake 0
Wednesday, Nov. 2
Bonita Vista 5, Otay Ranch 0
Chula Vista at Hilltop, cancelled
Friday, Nov. 4
Hilltop at Bonita Vista, 3 p.m.
Eastlake at Chula Vista, 3 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 9
Bonita Vista at Eastlake, 3 p.m.
Otay Ranch at Hilltop. 3 p.m.
