Diablos Fall From Girls Soccer Playoffs With 1-0 Loss to Esperanza

In a solidly played girls soccer match on both sides of the ball, it was a chip-shot goal late in the second half that proved the difference and sent Esperanza on to the CIF Southern Section Division 1 semifinals with a 1-0 victory over Mission Viejo on Thursday evening at Mission Viejo High.

It was a disappointing loss for the Diablos (13-7-1), the third-place finishers in the South Coast League, but coach Susie Daher was anything by disappointed by her team’s performance in the game or on the season.

“I’m awfully proud of them, I mean I really liked the game I watched tonight,” Daher said.

In the 63^rd minute of a hard-fought game, the Aztecs got a forward pass from junior midfielder Jordan Pennino that slipped through a seam in the defense and toward the goal. Senior forward AB Ogiamien chased the ball with a defender in stride with her as goalie Annie Wedel charged out to cut off the ball.

But Ogiamien managed to get a foot under the ball and chip a soft shot over Wedel’s head and into the right side of the net. The Diablos would threaten several times in the final 17 minutes but could not score the equalizer.

A few minutes before the Aztecs scored, the Diablos had a chance when senior midfielder Lindsay Bolla won a ball in the air with a header that got past the back line of defenders and rolled toward the goal. Bolla had a step on the defenders for an open break, but Aztec goalie Alyssa Giannetti was able to get to the ball first.

In the 69^th minute, the Diablos had a free kick that was put on goal by junior defender Carly Mottram. The ball was batted around in front of the net before getting pushed out by the Aztecs. The ball rolled out in front of the box, where Diablo freshman midfielder MacKensie Peace sent a solid shot on goal that sailed just high.

In the 74^th and 75^th minutes, the Diablos had two solid pressure opportunities, but could not find a shot. A crossing pass on the first failed to find a shooter and on the second, a controlled ball in front was cleared before a turn-and-shoot play could be completed. Meanwhile, the Aztecs also had several chances in both halves, but the Diablos' defense held.

“We played our little hearts out," Daher said. "I would say both teams were evenly matched and it was anyone’s game.”

The Aztecs seemed to control the action for much of the first half, keeping the ball on the Diablos' side of the field for much of the half. In the second half, Mission Viejo put another player at forward to add pressure and that seemed to help swing the time of possession in its favor. Late in the first half, the Diablos had one of their best chances when Bolla followed a lead pass up the left side and got a solid shot from the angle, but it was stopped by Giannetti

Mission Viejo had only two starting seniors this season, and Daher said the development of the younger players should bode well for the program's next couple of years.

Second-seeded Esperanza (21-2-4), the Century League champion, advances to the semifinals on Tuesday, when it hosts third-seeded Flintridge Sacred Heart, a 3-1 winner over Tesoro on Thursday.