SUNSET REGION: Moore’s PK ignites Gaels in opening-round win
Mia Moore has plenty of experience with penalty kicks in her four years with Bishop Gorman’s girls soccer team.
When it came time to step up to the spot in the first round of the playoffs, she used that experience to propel her team into the semifinals.
Moore’s penalty kick with 10 minutes left in the first half Tuesday helped Bishop Gorman eliminate Shadow Ridge, 3-0 in the Sunset Region quarterfinals at Faith Lutheran.
“This is our first playoff game, and it’s pretty important,” Moore said. “But I’ve stepped up and taken the PKs this year, and I didn’t want to back down. I knew that if I could make it, it would change the momentum and give us a positive outlook for the rest of the game.”
Moore’s attempt came after Shadow Ridge goalkeeper Dallas Gunny was called for a foul on a Gorman shot attempt from inside the 18-yard box.
The Gorman senior, who has signed with Loyola Marymount, calmly slotted home the goal into the bottom right corner of the net, and the tight match opened up from there.
Kaila Brinkman added a goal seven minutes later, tapping home a free ball with the inside of her foot to give the Gaels a 2-0 halftime lead.
“We were nervous, even being up 2-0. It’s the most nerve-wracking score to have in soccer,” Moore said. “So we just wanted to push through, and make sure we got no goals against.”
Haley Wingender finished the scoring, putting the final touch on a cross by Isabella Sorretino in the 66th minute to ice the win.
“When we’ve played ahead this year, we’ve been super successful,” Gorman coach Doug Borgel said. “When we’ve let up an early one, or struggled to score, we’ve been tighter. It’s no secret; every team likes to play from in front. But we feel like the first one is always the gateway to more.”
Angelica Pawlowski made five saves to earn the shutout for Gorman.
The Gaels (14-3-2) advanced to meet Northwest League champion Arbor View (13-2-2) in a semifinal at 6 p.m. Thursday at Faith Lutheran.
Centennial 2, Spring Valley 1 — At Faith Lutheran, Sienna Drizin curled a shot inches inside the right post five minutes into overtime to help the Bulldogs (10-3-2) edge the Southwest champion Grizzlies (13-2-3).
“I just placed it,” Drizin said. “Megan Delaney is one of the best keepers in the state. She was good, and she was stopping everything. But with her, you can’t just kick it; you have to place it. So I just placed it in the corner, and now we’re on to the next round.”
Markie Henderson gave Spring Valley the lead in the 52nd minute, redirecting a 45-yard free kick by Madisyn Delaney.
Nikki Romero rallied Centennial with the equalizer, slipping a ball through the hands of Spring Valley goalkeeper Megan Delaney, who made 15 saves.
“Nikki does a lot off the dribble, and she puts a lot on her shoulders,” Centennial coach Jeremy Gill said. “Sometimes it’s too much. But she creates a lot of opportunities for us.”
Centennial will face Palo Verde (13-5-3) at 4 p.m. on Thursday.
Palo Verde 4, Desert Oasis 0 — At Faith Lutheran, Sila Tuiofea scored three goals to help the Panthers blank the Diamondbacks (9-8-2).
Jordan Fleming also scored for Palo Verde.
Stacie Gubler and Jordan Goyeau combined on the shutout.
Arbor View 7, Sierra Vista 0 — Falon Miller notched four goals to help the Aggies cruise past the Mountain Lions (7-13-2).
Haley Vicente added a goal and two assists for Arbor View, which got a goal each from Jordan Arnold and Tara LeBaron.
Kyla Salazar and Hayley Fife combined on the shutout.
