Lightning ride halted against top seed in CIF

Chris Yemma

The ending to something that most in the beginning believed would

come a lot sooner, finally materialized Tuesday, just one stage shy

of the grand stage.

The Sage Hill School girls soccer team fell victim to two penalty

kicks in the first half and couldn’t rally in the second, losing in

the CIF Southern Section Division VI semifinals to visiting

top-seeded Arrowhead Christian, 2-0.

Despite outshooting the Eagles, 19-3, in the second half, Sage

(21-2-1) couldn’t manage to sneak one by goalie Naomi Sornoso, who

finished with 12 saves for Arrowhead (22-1-1).

“We knew we were better than this team,” Sage Coach Amy Ray said.

“We just had two unlucky calls against us. It was frustrating for us

all because we knew we were a better team.”

The Lightning, who pulled out a 2-1 come-from-behind victory

Thursday over visiting Desert Christian of Lancaster to advance to

the semis, controlled the pace of the second half, with their best

scoring opportunity coming from a Kellee Kim free kick at the top of

the box in the 73rd minute.

The kick hit the top right corner of the goal and bounced out of

play, but with only eight minutes remaining, it might have been too

little, too late. And the end of a season that brought just two

losses -- the other loss, and only tie, to St. Margaret’s --

concluded without a final matchup between the two schools.

Second-seeded St. Margaret’s, the Academy League champion, lost to

Bishop, 2-1, in the other semifinal Tuesday.

Arrowhead Christian’s Dana Farquhar, a freshman, scored both

penalty kicks within a five-minute span Tuesday, one in the 17th

minute, the other in the 23rd. Both were called after freshman

Kristina Gomez was taken down in the penalty box.

Kim, also a freshman and Sage’s leading goal scorer this season

with 30 goals, was held scoreless for just the third time all year.

Eagles’ Coach Tim Seymour said he was prepared for Kim.

“I really didn’t know what to expect,” Seymour said. “But I knew

that Kellee Kim, for a freshman, is top notch. I talked to about four

people and they all said, ‘Hey you got to watch out for her.’”

The Lightning lose four seniors to graduation for next season, but

Kim will be back to lead the team.

“Hopefully we’ll go further next year,” Kim said. “Hopefully we’ll

make it to the finals. I hope more good freshmen come in because a

lot of our really good seniors are leaving.”