Andersen inches closer to title

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COSTA MESA — It was a tough fight in the gold division quarterfinals for girls’ fifth- and sixth-grade teams at the Daily Pilot Cup. Andersen and Harbor Day, almost perfectly matched teams at the start of the day, pushed each other hard for the whole game but when the dust settled, Andersen pulled through with a 4-2 win.

At the start of the game, it looked like Harbor Day knew what it was up against and resolved to fight hard. Andersen’s Brynn Motal set the tone for the game, scoring early in the first half, but Harbor Day quickly matched it and pulled ahead, closing the half with a 2-1 lead.

After that, Andersen rallied quickly, scoring twice at the start of the second half, showing Harbor Day that they weren’t there just for the orange slices. Andersen’s Emily Mecker sealed up the win with a fourth goal in the last quarter.

“It was a tough game, they had us on the ropes for the first half,” Andersen Coach Linda Craig said. “But we had some really, really solid middle play from our halfbacks.”

Harbor Day Coach Jim Seaver agreed, saying Andersen is a tough team to beat.

“When it came to winning the ball, they were very effective, a very capable team. We were able to get two goals on them.”

Andersen looks poised for a three-peat at the Daily Pilot Cup, having brought home the title two years in a row. But anything is possible in the Daily Pilot Cup. Andersen will face Lincoln today in the semifinals.