The Eastlake and Bonita Vista high school girls soccer teams tied for this year’s Mesa League title with duplicate 11-1 records as the teams took turns beating each other.
Eastlake fired the first salvo with a 3-2 win on April 13 while Bonita Vista drew even in the standings with a 3-0 shutout win on May 6.
The Titan and Baron ladies defeated every other team in the league to finish in a deadlock atop the league standings.
Both teams were rewarded with very attractive seeds in this year’s San Diego Section playoffs.
Eastlake received the No. 2 seed in the Open Division playoffs while Bonita Vista was rewarded with the No. 1 seed in the Division II playoffs.
The Titans (13-1-1) defeated visiting Point Loma, 2-0, in Tuesday’s quarterfinals to advance to next Tuesday’s semifinals against third-seeded La Costa Canyon, a 3-0 quarterfinal-round winner over sixth-seeded Carlsbad (8-3-6).
LCC, the third-place finisher in the North County Conference Coastal League, carries a an 11-2-4 record into its game at Eastlake. Kick-off is 5 p.m.
Seventh-seeded Pt Loma (9-4-4) played tough, but the Eastlake girls just had an edge.
Junior Selena Wimbish and freshman Mia Lane scored goals in each half in Tuesday’s playoff win.
The Titan ladies finished 27-7-1 last season, including 11-1 in league play, while advancing to the Open Division semifinals.
Eastlake, seeded fifth, lost, 1-0, to top-seeded Cathedral Catholic but was able to bounce back with three more playoff games, including a 2-0 double-elimination win at third-seeded Torrey Pines and two matches in the Southern California regionals.
Braced by 13 seniors this season, the Titan ladies appear primed for more.
“We had a good foundation from last year,” new EHS coach Cameron Roget said. “A good number of the girls know how to positional play, possession of the ball. You need to out-possess the other team.”
Key players this season include senior midfielder Daniela Chavira, who will attend SDSU, junior midfielder/forward Mina Rodriguez, Lane and sophomore midfielder Vanessa Wimbish.
Selena Wimbish scored two goals in the opening win over Bonita Vista while senior Kiley Rivers had one goal. Rodriguez had one assist while senior Leilani Pomatto earned the goalkeeping victory.
Bonita Vista (12-1) kicks off playoff action Friday against visiting Francis Parker, the ninth-seeded team in the division with a 6-3-4 overall record following the Lancers’ intrepid 3-0 win on Tuesday at eighth-seeded El Camino (6-7-2).
The winner of Friday’s advances to next Tuesday’s semifinals against either fourth-seeded Bishop’s (10-3-1) or fifth-seeded Westview (11-3-2).
Bishop’s is as the reigning Coastal League champion while Westview finished runner-up in the Palomar League standings.
The division championship game is scheduled May 29 at 7:30 p.m. at Eastlake High School.
BVHS coach Kiko Medina believes his team can compete with North County teams despite playing only one non-league game this spring (a 2-1 win at Granite Hills on April 5).
“Being the top seed, I feel we have a strong enough team to make a run this season,” he said. “We’ve proved it with our results against Eastlake. Our goal is definitely a CIF championship to go along with our league banner.”
Scoring leaders include junior Hannah Burns with 18 goals and three assists (39 points), junior Vanessa Ramirez with nine goals and six assists (24 points), sophomore Luna Beaulieu with six goals and two assists (14 points) and junior Mirayah Villalpando with four goals and three assists (11 points).
Sophomore Aaliyah Campbell and junior Sabrina Ibanez have shared goalkeeping duty this season with a combined six shutouts.
Burns had two goals while Ramirez had one goal and one assist in the 3-0 win over Eastlake. Burns and senior Alyza Eckhart both scored in the previous loss to the Titans. Eckhart also picked up an assist, as did Ramirez.
“We have a very strong junior class and have quite a few impact players,” Medina said. “Hannah Burns led the league and is top five, I believe, in San Diego in goals scored. Alyza Eckhardt is a strong attacking mid and our senior captain. Mirayah Villalpando is non-stop in our midfield and defends and attacks extremely well. Ashley Escamilla is our anchor in the midfield and helps pace our team. Jada Gibson has come up big moving to center back for us – she normally plays outside back for club.”
Eckhart is a senior; Escamilla and Gibson are juniors.
Go green
Hilltop received the No. 5 seed in the Division III playoffs and hosted 12th-seeded Santa Fe Christian in Tuesday’s opening round.
The North County visitors found themselves trailing 1-0 at halftime but scored twice off plays from cornerkicks in the second half to spirit off a come-from-behind 2-1 victory.
Hilltop, which finished 3-8 in Mesa League play, ended its season with a 4-10-2 overall record.
Santa Fe Christian, which finished 2-4-2 in fourth place in the Coastal League, advances to meet fourth-seeded La Jolla (4-7-1) in Friday’s quarterfinals. The Eagles take a 5-6-2 overall record into that match.
Hilltop coach Rene Ortiz, who helped coach the San Diego Sockers to the team’s 15th indoor championship with a two-games-to-one finals series win over the Ontario Fury last month to cap play in the 2020-21 Major Arena Soccer League season, was complimentary about his team receiving a home playoff game.
“We were actually surprised that we received a home game,” Ortiz said. “It’s been a very difficult season in high school soccer because girls were juggling club, injuries, grades and high school (distance learning). Actually, to get a home playoff game was exciting for us.”
The host team was the first to get excited on the pitch when junior Cierra Vega scored on a long rising shot over junior SFC goalkeeper Wesley Adickes in the 27th minute to stake the Lancer ladies to a 1-0 lead. Sophomore Daisy Velez received the assist on the goal.
Hilltop’s defense, along with junior goalkeeper Victoria Medina, rose to the challenge for most of the second half against a hungry Eagles team determined to leave everything it had on the pitch.
SFC had just enough to post the come-from-behind victory.
Senior Makenna Crimadli evened the score in the 55th minute on a hard shot from outside the penalty box after the Lancers had managed to clear a bending cornerkick through traffic. Crimaldi collected the rebound and fired a laser into the back of the net.
Hilltop managed a few forays deep into the opposite end but the Eagles countered to keep up the pressure in the Lancer defensive end, earning several more cornerkick opportunities.
The visitors managed to convert a second corner into a goal when senior Natalie Cutri looped a high head shot over Medina. The goal came with just three minutes remaining in regulation play to deflate the hosts’ chances of taking the match into overtime.
