Andersen rallies to lengthen title streak

Bryce Alderton

The Andersen third- and fourth-grade girls soccer team found itself

in the throes of a challenge early in the Gold division final Sunday

against Lincoln in the Daily Pilot Cup at the Costa Mesa Farm Sports

Complex.

The Dolphins, who had outscored their prior five tournament foes,

27-2, trailed, 2-0, with three minutes remaining in the first half in

the quest for their fourth straight division title.

But adversity often breeds growth.

The Dolphins persevered. They scored one goal before halftime and

added three in the second half to extend their hold on the division

with a 4-2 victory over the Leopards.

“In the second half, once the girls started seeing what was

possible, we played our game,” Andersen Coach Claudio Venturini said.

“At the beginning, the girls were hesitant and doubted themselves.

“But they never quit.”

Monica Venturini, who scored the second and third goals for the

Dolphins, said she and her teammates remained calm despite the early

deficit.

“We weren’t worried,” she said. “We thought we would still win.”

The Dolphins did it with a strategy Claudio Venturini said they

hadn’t used in prior tournament games, but employed throughout the

final.

“We wanted to attack both sides with Monica and Makena [Look] on

the outsides to put stress on their defense,” Claudio Venturini said.

“Before, we were attacking in the middle. This time, we tried both

sides, kept the same strategy and it worked. [The Leopards] never

gave up. Hats off to them.”

“[The Dolphins] opened up the field in the second half and had

more speed,” Lincoln Co-Coach Mitch Sigband said. “Our girls tried to

adjust, but it comes down to the skills of the players. Andersen has

a lot of skilled players.”

Karsten Sigband gave Lincoln a 1-0 lead two minutes into the

contest with a left-footed blast into the net from 10 yards out after

teammate Alex Benson started the play with a free kick near midfield.

Lincoln maintained pressure, drawing three corner kicks and three

shots in the next 20 minutes.

In the 22nd minute, Benson upped the lead to 2-0. Chelsea

Chiapuzio sent the pass to Benson in stride. Benson nearly came to a

halt, but curled around Andersen’s goalkeeper, who strolled toward

the top of the 18-yard box, and sent the shot into the net.

Andersen responded in the final minute of the first half with a

goal from Courtney Brown after Lincoln wasn’t able to clear the ball

from its zone.

The goal helped ignite Andersen, Monica Venturini said.

“We were really fired up after that,” she said.

Andersen goalkeepers Erica and Genevieve Weed combined for three

saves in the first half -- they tallied four in all -- while Lincoln

goalkeeper Olivia Pajee made two of her four saves in the first 25

minutes.

The Dolphins carried their momentum over to the second half.

Monica Venturini fought off a defender and fired a shot that found

the upper-right corner of the net for the tying goal four minutes

into the second half. Annie Alvarado kept the ball in and fed

Venturini.

Venturini gave Andersen the lead for good four minutes later after

stealing the ball near the top of the 18-yard box. She curled to the

right a few steps and fired into the net.

“Andersen was able to get behind us and the result was a few

goals,” Mitch Sigband said.

Lincoln continued to pressure the Dolphins. Sweeper Katie Curci,

who provided smothering defense all game along with Paige Larsh and

Alanna Hunter, sent a through ball to Grace Kennedy. Kennedy’s shot

angled toward the near post, but Erica Weed shifted against the pole

for the stop.

The Dolphins drew their two corner kicks within the final 10

minutes.

The second one led to their final goal.

Venturini’s lofted kick bounced and Look took control inside the

18-yard box. She turned and lifted a left-footed shot high into the

net for an insurance goal with four minutes remaining.

Both teams’ defenses were kept busy.

Kelsey Humphries and Madison Haly often found their way to the

ball. Haly cleared two balls out of the zone in the first half while

Alvarado added a steal.

Curci halted an attack inside Lincoln’s 18-yard box late in the

first half with Andersen driving.

Kelsey Schmitt and Kensi Conti added to Andersen’s front line.

Conti rifled a shot off the left post in the first half. The Dolphins

also included Chloe Dapp, Heather Johnson and Nikki Muelhauser.

Jordan Castleton and Katie Groke bolstered Lincoln’s attack.

Noelle Gooding and Sara Machoskie rounded out the Leopards’ roster.