Lincoln leaps to final

Bryce Alderton

The Lincoln Elementary girls third- and fourth-grade Gold division

soccer team let the game dictate how they battled Kaiser in a

semifinal showdown of the Daily Pilot Cup Saturday at the Farm Sports

Complex.

Mitch Sigband, co-coach of Lincoln along with Kit Curci, decided

to beef up the defensive front by shifting midfielders back a few

steps in the second half after the Leopards had taken a lead.

The blockade tactic worked, as it has for most of this tournament

for the Leopards, who took a step forward, posting a 2-0 victory to

secure a berth in today’s final against Andersen at 1 p.m. on Farm

field No. 5. Andersen defeated Our Lady Queen of Angels, 5-0, in the

other semifinal.

The Leopards used their physical strength and alertness to turn

away a scrappy Kaiser team.

“[Kaiser] is the toughest team we’ve faced by far,” Sigband said.

“The kids played with a lot of intensity. Our players were at the

right place at the right time.”

Lincoln, a 5-1 winner over Harbor Day in the quarterfinals earlier

Saturday, has outscored its four tournament foes, 17-1.

The goals were tougher to come by against Kaiser, which had no

substitutes.

The teams played a scoreless first half with Lincoln tallying six

shots to Kaiser’s one. Kaiser goalkeeper Casey Duckworth made three

saves.

Lincoln scored its first goal four minutes into the second

25-minute half as Grace Kennedy kept in a clearing attempt and

crossed to Karsten Sigband, who went near post for the 1-0 lead.

Kaiser kept the pressure on, with Taury Hlinka and Allison Molstad

firing shots.

Hlinka, the sweeper, knocked down several Lincoln passes.

The Leopards maintained focus, patiently dribbling into the Kaiser

zone to set up their next score.

Kennedy sent a through ball that ended with a shot that sailed

over the goal.

A goal kick restarted play and Lincoln slithered into the

attacking zone. Karsten Sigband raced along the wing and bumped a

Kaiser defender as both players neared the ball. Sigband took

possession and crossed to Chelsea Chiapuzio, who went far post for

the goal in the 41st minute.

Kaiser kept pushing, with Molstad and Delaney McCardle, who scored

four goals in Kaiser’s 5-0 victory over Carden Hall earlier Saturday,

racing into the Lincoln zone.

But the Leopards, all fourth graders, sniffed out seemingly every

scoring chance behind stopper Alex Benson and defensive mates Katie

Curci, Paige Larsh, Alanna Hunter and goalkeeper Olivia Pajee.

“We were first to the ball in most cases,” Mitch Sigband said.

Jordan Castleton scored twice while Benson, Karsten Sigband and

Chiapuzio each added one goal in Lincoln’s quarterfinal victory.

Jill Messersmith added one in Kaiser’s quarterfinal win and added

strong defense against Lincoln.

Kaiser Coach Irma Messersmith praised her team’s determination.

“They played hard,” she said. “[The Leopards] are more skilled

than some of our players and are stronger.”