The Otay Ranch and Eastlake high school girls lacrosse teams have developed a penchant for playing close games over the past two seasons. Monday’s San Diego Section Division I quarterfinal match-up was no exception.
Otay Ranch won, 11-10, in dramatic comeback fashion to eliminate their Metro Conference rival and advance to Wednesday’s semifinal round contest against top-seeded San Marcos (14-6).
The fourth-seeded Lady Mustangs (16-3) trailed by a score of 4-0 at one point in Monday’s elimination game against fifth-seeded Eastlake (16-5) before posting a wild 9-5 finish at Otay Ranch High School.
Senior midfielder Brooke Greene, this year’s Metro Player of the Year, led the ferocious Lady Mustang comeback with six goals, including five in the first half, as the hosts climbed back to lead 7-6 at halftime.
The teams remained separated by one goal at the final whistle.
Eastlake coach Robert Blas said his team had something to prove in its third game against league Otay Ranch this season.
The Lady Mustangs had won the previous two field engagements by scores of 10-8 and 9-8; the teams met three times last year with one-goal games the result each time, including in the Division II championship game.
“We were in control but don’t count out Brooke Greene to bring them back,” he said in respect for the reigning two-time conference MVP.
Junior midfielder Bridgette Greene, Brooke’s younger sister, added three goals for the Lady Mustangs, who finished undefeated at 14-0 in league play this season.
Junior Katherine Carroll, sophomores Cori Montero and Erika Farrage and senior Tiva Krahenbuhl each scored two goals for Eastlake in the playoff loss while goalkeeper Glo Hinojosa had 13 saves (four in the first half and nine in the second half).
The Lady Mustangs have now swept the season series against their east side Chula Vista rival over the past two seasons, winning all six games.
Clash of the Titans
Eastlake entered Monday’s game riding the momentum of last Friday’s 14-4 first-round victory against visiting Mt. Carmel (5-12).
Eastlake played at full throttle against the North County visitors by racking up an 8-0 scoring barrage before Mt. Carmel scored its first goal. The halftime score read 10-4 in the Lady Titans’ favor.
Montero scored four goals, Carroll followed with three goals while sophomore Kika Funk and junior Andie Araos each scored two goals. Hinojosa recorded five second-half saves.
The win advanced the Lady Titans, who finished in a tie with Hilltop for second place in the league standings with an 11-3 league record, to a third game this season against the Lady Mustangs.
League champs
Brooke Greene, who earned league MVP and All-CIF accolades last season, senior defender Cerrese Ronquillo, Bridgette Greene and junior goalkeeper Roxanne Galvan have been Otay Ranch’s impact players this season, according to head coach William Dawson.
Both Greene sisters were first team all-league picks this spring. Ronquillo earned selection to the all-league first team in 2016 and second team in 2017 while Galvan was named to this year’s all-league second team.
Senior attacker Andrea Nightingale and sophomore defender Zoey Finch were the team’s impact newcomers.
Dawson said team goals this season were to compete with Division I schools and win the league championship. Both goals were accomplished heading into the playoffs.
“Our midfielders and defense are our strengths,” he assessed.
On the field Monday were 11 all-league players for both teams, headed by six for league champion Otay Ranch and five for league runner-up Eastlake.
Semifinal winners advance to Saturday’s championship game at San Dieguito Academy. The Division II final is scheduled at noon, followed by the Division I match-up at 2:30 p.m. and the Open Division final at 5 p.m.
Torrey Pines received the top seed in the Open Division while Mission Bay entered the playoffs as the top-seeded team in Division II.
