On December 7th, the Coronado Islanders took on the Patrick Henry Patriots in a back and forth match. Penalties were flying and energy was through the roof on the field. It was very intense and a nail-biter to watch until the end, when the Islanders would secure the 2-1 victory.
Overall, the game was super close. There were many shots on goal from both teams that would either be saved just before crossing the line, or they would bounce off the goalpost.
Coming in clutch however, was Angelina Quijano. She would help the Islanders strike first just before the end of the first half to go up 1-0. She had received the ball from a rebound, and returned it high and fast while the goalie was recovering to score. This goal would bring energy and motivation into the half to keep an advantage over Patrick Henry.
Second Half
Coming out of halftime the girls were flying around even more. They had their energy back, and were planning on using every last bit of it. Coming back out into the game aggressive would keep them mostly on the offensive side for a majority of the final half. Constantly applying pressure to Patrick Henry’s wound, finding the weakness in the defense and striking it. There were multiple shots on goal by one player in particular in the second half.
Katelyn McGrath had so many shots on goal in the second half it was impossible to keep count. Patrick Henry’s goalie had an amazing night stopping some of them, but just couldn’t keep up with the pressure and let one of Katelyn’s powerful shots slide right past and into the back of the net. This would give the Islanders a 2-0 lead.
With the Islanders leading 2-0, Patrick Henry was looking to come back and had only ten minutes remaining. They drove down the field quickly and with a beautiful cross, the ball was hit into the goal with a header. This would bring the score to 2-1. Now Patrick Henry still had a chance, but Coronado’s defense held up, forcing bad passes and creating steals to secure the win.
Post Game
After the game, head coach Mike Costaglio shared, “We just wanted it more… we were not organized, we were not very efficient… but we had plenty of talent and heart and sometimes that’s how you get the one [win] that doesn’t look good.”
There is no doubt that Coach Costaglio will help the girls to improve and continue to grow leading up to their next game which is 6pm this Friday, December 9th at home.
