UDPATE May 19, 2022. Coronado defeated La Jolla Country Day 20-10 on May 17 to move on to the Div. 1 Championship Round on Saturday, May 21 against Bishop’s at Patrick Henry High School.
There are certain pressures that can come with being the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. The expectations are for you to make a championship run, be the best of the best, and never blink in the face of adversity.
And in last Saturday’s CIF quarterfinals match, the Islanders proved they were worthy of that No. 1 overall seed as they took down the Lancers of Carlsbad High School to advance to the CIF semi-finals.
Saturday afternoon’s game started as a back and forth contest with both teams netting two quick goals, the two for the Islanders coming courtesy of Allie White and Ella Ackerly to tie things at 2-2 early in the first half.
However, the following 10 minutes would be controlled by the visiting Lancers as they would add two more goals to build a to 4-2. During those minutes, it was not that the Islanders’ offense could not respond; it’s just that the Carlsbad goalie would not let anything pass.
Ackerly, Julia Mineo, White, and Riley McGrath all sent in shots on goal, but none found the back of the net.
The early first-half defect forced head coach Caroline Carlson to call a timeout and get the team regrouped. Whatever the message was during that time, it clearly resonated with her squad. After the timeout, Coronado would tally two quick goals, one from a shooting space foul and the other on a nice driving-low shot from Mineo.
And the Coronado offense wasn’t done. Following a save by Allyson Bryant and a groundball by Marianna Dick, the Islanders would quickly run out into transition. After a few passes, the ball found Ackerly, who sent one past the goalie to make it a 5-4 Islander lead with just under two minutes to play in the first half.
In fact, the girls in green and white’s ability at times to turn defense into offense would be a difference-maker for them on Saturday evening.
In the final minute of the half, the Islanders’ offense would add another goal to its total thanks to an unassisted goal by Mineo to give the Islanders a 6-4 lead going into halftime.
As hot as Coronado ended the first half offensively, they would come out with even more offensive firepower in the second half. Allie White would add two more goals for the Islanders in the first six minutes, extending the Islander lead to 8-4.
Then on the following possession, after yet another drop ball win by Lauren Hundley, McGrath got in on the scoring action with a goal off an assist from Mallory Morrissey to give Coronado a 9-4 lead.
While it appeared that the Islanders had seized all momentum and extinguished any hopes Carlsbad had, the Lancers didn’t give up. Carlsbad responded to Coronado’s 4-0 goal run with a 4-0 goal run of their own to make it a 9-8 game with just over six minutes to play.
Despite letting their lead shrink, Coronado was not phased. The Islanders quickly responded with another three goals, with two coming from White and the other from Hundley, making it a 12-8 game with three minutes to go.
Also, the Islander defense would play their finest ball in those final minutes. Bryant tallied a save while defenders like Katie Collins, Emma Fabiszak, Hannah Fabiszak, and Marianna Dick played great on-ball defense to seal Coronado’s 12-8 victory and punch their ticket to the CIF Semifinals.
The Lady Islanders will be back in action tonight at 7 pm (home match) as they take on La Jolla Country Day with a trip to the CIF Championship on the line.
