Steele Canyon High School Women's Soccer

Courtney Cleaves - San Diego State University
Amanda Robbins - California State University Dominguez Hills
Janel Sanchez - Cuyamaca College
Jennifer Schafer - California State University Los Angeles

The Cougars battled for 105 minutes against El Capitan in an epic defensive war. JANEL SANCHEZ, AMANDA ROBBINS, ALYSSA LLANOS, HOLLY MOODY, and SUMMER BLAND played an incredible game, but in injury time after over-time had ended, El Capitan scored on a loose ball to send El Capitan to Semi-Finals. As devastating as the loss was, Coach Charlie stated, "The girls have nothing to hang their heads down for. They were amazing all year. I'm so proud of their efforts tonight. It's tough, but with only three seniors playing, the girls have picked up some valuable expereince that can only help this program in the years to come."

The Cougars battled for 105 minutes against El Capitan in an epic defensive war. JANEL SANCHEZ, AMANDA ROBBINS, ALYSSA LLANOS, HOLLY MOODY, and SUMMER BLAND played an incredible game, but in injury time after over-time had ended, El Capitan scored on a loose ball to send El Capitan to Semi-Finals. As devastating as the loss was, Coach Charlie stated, "The girls have nothing to hang their heads down for. They were amazing all year. I'm so proud of their efforts tonight. It's tough, but with only three seniors playing, the girls have picked up some valuable expereince that can only help this program in the years to come."

Spartans can’t overcome Cougars

By TOM RONCO, Special to this
newspaper

Wednesday, February 22, 2006 3:09 PM PST

Central Union High’s Adriana Moreno (left) and Illiana Villegas steal the ball from Chelsey Jenner of Steele Canyon High of Spring Valley during their CIF-San Diego Section Division III playoff game Tuesday in El Centro. The Cougars beat the Spartans 4-2. Playing a physical brand of soccer with heart and determination, Central Union High still lost its opening-round CIF San Diego Section Division III girls’ soccer match to Steele Canyon High 4-2 at Cal Jones Field on Tuesday.

“We knew we had to play hard and we were ready,” said Central coach Ramon Lopez. “They played exactly as they had to. We knew the way they play in San Diego and the team knew they had to be tough.”

The only Division III team in the larger-school-dominated Grossmont Conference, Steele Canyon (14-9, 5-5 GC) of Spring Valley came into the match as the seventh seed but the 10th-seeded Spartans (16-1-4, 11-0-1 IVL) received the home game because they were Imperial Valley League champs.

“It’s a little colder here but this is a great field and a great environment,” said Cougar coach Charlie Cleaves. “It was a great crowd and it’s good to see the support that soccer gets here.”

The Cougars opened the match aggressively and scored in the seventh minute when Jennifer Schafer picked up a loose ball outside the penalty box and sent a shot past Central goalkeeper Carolina Ochoa.

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“I threw myself at the shot but I was too late. Things were happening faster,” said Ochoa, who was asked to move to goalkeeper from defender her senior year and who plays without gloves. “I never wear them. I’m not used to them and I want to feel the ball in my hands.”

Ochoa made three saves over the next three minutes before Steele Canyon’s Chelsea Jenner took a crossing pass, beat a defender and scored the Cougars’ second goal in the 17th minute.

Trailing 2-0, Central’s Karina Carmona dribbled into the penalty box from the left side in the 29th minute and split two defenders with a cross to Adriana Moreno, who fought off a defender and slid a shot into the net.

“It was a very good pass and I saw it all the way,” said Moreno, a junior. “They were very physical and I just beat the defender to the ball.”

Down 2-1 at halftime, Lopez thought his team was where he wanted it to be.

“I wanted us to stay close in the first half and when we were down 2-1, I wasn’t worried because usually we’re a second-half team,” Lopez said.

Indeed, Central opened the second half by attacking the Cougars for seven minutes before giving up a counter-attack goal to Jenner, who scored on a header.

Central again answered the challenge, pressing with new urgency on the Steele Canyon side of the pitch. The pressure paid off in the 12th minute of the half when midfielder Teresa Gonzalez took a loose ball bouncing through the penalty box and volleyed a high-arcing shot that glanced off the goalkeeper’s fingers and went into the net.

“I saw it bouncing and said ‘This is my ball’ and I went for it and kicked it toward the goal,” said Gonzalez, a senior.

Two defensive lapses by the Spartans allowed the Cougars to score their fourth goal. First, Central failed to chase down a loose ball that became a corner kick, then the Spartans left Jenner unmarked and she redirected the corner kick into the net.

In the last 15 minutes of the game Central found itself in the unenviable position of actually having to play more defense against the Cougars’ pressure than attacking.

“Central hung in there with us and they didn’t let up,” said Cleaves. “Every time we scored they responded and at the end we had a lot more depth and we were fresher.”

Clearly, the Spartans’ heart could not be questioned.

“I think physically we are in condition but we weren’t pushed as hard down here as they are up there. That’s what it was … it’s a totally different style down here in the IVL,” said Lopez. “We talked before the game about leaving everything on the field and they did … as a coach there’s nothing else you can ask for.”

In front of 200 excited Central Union fans and the bright lights of the Imperial Valley TV Media, the Cougars CHELSEA JENNER scored 3 very different and impressive goals leading the Cougars to a 4-2 win in their opening CIF Playoff match. In a game were 22 Cougars participated, including JV Call up Freshman JESSICA HARTNETT, it was Freshman SIERRA HARTWELL, playing for injured Senior COURTNEY CLEAVES that had the crowd in awe with her dribbling runs, crosses and one very dramatic cross to Chelsea, who headed the ball deep into the net for the winning goal. Coach Charlie, stated, "It  was a coming out party for Sierra. Her potential has always been there, and tonight, stepping up for Court, she was our playmaker, and the cross to Chelsea was classic soccer at it's very best!  A great win, but now we must focus on El Capitan on Friday."

CIF NEWS!!

In bizarre twist of fate, CIF used an unwritten rule again stating that league standings mean more then head to head. With that said we went from the #3 seed and a bye to #7 seed and a trip to El Centro on Tuesday @ 6:00pm.  

1). Cathedral Catholic
2). El Capitan
3). OLP
4). Coronado
5). San Diegutio
6). Valhalla
7). SteeleCanyon
8). University City
9). MissionBay
10). Central (El Centro)
11). Clairemont
12). Santana

Because Valhalla came in 3^rd and us 4^th, they had to go in higher then us, despite us beating them TWICE, and OLP gets the 3^rd seed (despite us beating them), because Valhalla wasn’t get anything higher then a 6^th seed. With that said, Coach Charlie Stated "I’m very excited!! The road to the Championship is very clear, and on the road! El Centro(10), El Capitan(2), OLP (3), and then Cathedral Catholic(1)! I love our chances…""

Schedule: (IT IS DIFFERENT)
Monday 20th:
9:00-11:15am- Practice
Tuesday 21st:
12:00pm– Depart by Bus from SC.
2:00-4:00pm– Team Lunch/Rest in El Centro
4:00-6:00pm– Game Prep
6:00pm– CIF PLAYOFF Game vs. Central (El Centro)

The winner of that game plays El Capitan on FRIDAY NIGHT 24^th @ 6:15pm@ El Capitan in the CIF Quarterfinals.

Tuesday 28^th
7:00pmCIF SEMI FINALS

Saturday March 4^th
CIF CHAMPIONSHIP @ Westview

Some men give up their dreams when they have almost reached the goal; while others, on the contrary, obtain a victory by exerting, at the last moment, more vigorous efforts than before. -Polybius