Girls Grades 3-4: Marching down the hall

Bryce Alderton

COSTA MESA - When Barbara Yeager took over as coach of the Carden

Hall girls grades 3-4 team for this year’s Daily Pilot Cup, she said she

was just hoping her team would win its pool.

Well, her team has accomplished that goal, now it’s on to bigger and

brighter things, like the championship soccer game her team will play

today against Andersen.

“Everything now is just gravy,” Yeager said chuckling. “It’s great to

be in the final.”

Carden Hall had a successful Saturday defeating defending champion

Kaiser in its morning game at The Farm Field, and then scoring a 2-0 win

over Harbor Day in the afternoon semifinal.

Carden Hall stacked defenders at the midfield line often, giving

Harbor Day players difficulty advancing the ball into the Carden Hall

zone.

“It took a couple games to realize who the best defenders are,” Yeager

said. “Kristi Jacobs, Shelby Williams, Alison Gordon and Julie Kapelke

held the defense strong, and we’re lucky to have Gillian Hogan in the

midfiled and Caroline (Hardenbergh) and Lauren Draganza up front.”

Draganza scored Carden Hall’s first goal at the 15-minute mark of the

first half as Hogan sprinted up the left side of the field and made a

centering pass to Draganza right in front of the net for the 1-0 lead.

Harbor Day’s Claire Eadington, Brooke Nelson and Jackie Dion dribbled

the ball up the field on several occasions, but a Carden Hall defender

rushed back to kick the ball away, or make the player change her

direction.

Right before Draganza’s goal, Harbor Day Co-Coach George Eadington

remarked candidly on the sideline, “I don’t see a weak spot on their

team. They have some good players.”

Both teams played physical soccer, taking the brunt of kicked balls to

the stomach and head, and encountering the occasional minor trip or fall.

The referee had to stop play four times to tend to a fallen player on the

field.

Hardenbergh scored Carden Hall’s second and final goal two minutes

into the second half, capitalizing on a centering pass.

Carden Hall’s roster includes two club players, while every player has

played AYSO, a definite advantage, Yeager said.

“We’re lucky we have depth,” Yeager said.

Chelsea Barth and Melissa Hancock played strong defense for Harbor

Day, stopping Carden Hall charges upfield.