Kaiser, Mariners go on

Chris Yemma

The darkness that set in during the lull in between the sun’s setting

and the artificial lights coming on at the Costa Mesa Farm Complex

seemed to cool the normally heated Kaiser Elementary girls soccer

team.

But after a whole deadlocked first half, the fifth- and

sixth-grade Gold division squad came to life, just as the lights

brightened up.

Megan Khademi, Brianna Truxton and Courtney McIntosh each tallied

a goal to lead Kaiser to a 3-0 quarterfinal victory over Newport

Heights Saturday.

“Soccer’s a funny game. If you dominate a game, eventually it will

result in goals,” Kaiser Coach Kirk McIntosh said. “Sometimes they

come early and sometimes late. It’s a game of possession.”

Meanwhile, Shannon Boler and Madison Wooters each scored a goal as

the Mariners fifth- and sixth-grade team notched a 2-0 Gold division

victory over TeWinkle in the game prior.

Kaiser will face Carden Hall and Mariners will battle Andersen,

both in semifinal matches at 10:30 a.m. today.

Kaiser, which had a group of players on the third- and

fourth-grade squad last year which lost the championship game in

penalty kicks, has not been scored upon in this year’s tournament.

Led by McIntosh, Josie Jogwe, Shany Fischer, Khademi and Truxton,

Kaiser is looking for the championship this year.

Mariners, led by Boler, Wooters and the dominant defense anchored

by Natalie Swift, is also in the mix for a title.

Mariners’ defense has been the key element in the tournament thus

far, with another shutout coming Saturday. Swift broke up numerous

attacks by TeWinkle, while goalie Sydney King had a couple of clutch

saves.

“The defense usually doesn’t get much credit, but it’s the key of

the team,” Swift said. “Our goal is to win a championship because we

have never won one.”

Meaghan Kay, Taylor Cordeiro, Tatum Norton, Molly Anderson, Tori

Sarris and Allison Schelin also contributed for Mariners, while

Nicole Baker, Jennifer Munoz, August Sullivan, Kelly Rorden, Christy

Olhlaver and Kyarah Paplos aided Kaiser.