Mariners Christian wins on PK

Barry Faulkner

There could not have been a greater contrast Thursday between the

split second that decided the game and the remaining 50-plus minutes

of girls soccer action between fifth- and sixth-grade gold division,

pool B rivals Mariners Christian School and Eastbluff Elementary.

The lone goal in a Daily Pilot Cup clash at the Costa Mesa Sports

Farm Complex came with the action stopped, as Katie Deverian directed

a slow rolling penalty kick inside the left post three minutes into

the 25-minute second half.

The rest of the game featured a much faster pace as both teams

battled relentlessly for the slightest edge.

“That was two very strong teams,” said Mariners Coach John

Devarian, whose team can close out pool play unbeaten today, should

it get past winless TeWinkle (5:30 p.m.). “We thought, coming in,

that Kaiser [which Mariners defeated, 1-0, Wednesday on a Katie

Deverian goal], would be our strongest competition. But Eastbluff was

a very strong opponent.”

By virtue of possessing the ball more in the opponent’s half of

the field, Mariners was the stronger team Thursday. The winners took

seven shots to Eastbluff’s four, but had, by far, the best of the

quality scoring chances.

Lauren Norman had a shot from close range denied on a sparkling

save by Eastbluff goalie Taryn Greenberg and Greenberg came seemingly

out of nowhere to stop a direct free kick bent deftly around a wall

set up in front late in the second half.

Greenberg sparkled for Eastbluff, posting five saves, while

Eastbluff coaches Larry Cano and Phil Greenberg also singled out

sweeper Amanda Garrett and stopper Samantha Gail for their defensive

prowess.

Defense was also key for Mariners, which, for the most part,

limited Eastbluff’s best chances to breakaway runs from midfield by

Scarlet Fallon.

John Devarian praised the strong play of sweeper Kendall Langdon

and goalie Lindsay Anderson (two saves), while also lauding the

offensive contributions of Lainy Barkley and Katie Devarian.

Like the Eastbluyff coaches, however, he was quick to praise the

contributions of the entire team. Every player on both teams saw

playing time, due to a constant substitution shuffle.

Eastbluff, which defeated TeWinkle Wednesday, 5-0, plays Kaiser

tonight at 6:30 for the right to advance into the championship

playoffs.

“I’m proud of the kids, who, I thought, really left everything on

the field,” Cano said. “We got an unlucky penalty in the box and that

was the difference in the game.”