The Coronado High School girls soccer team wrapped up their season on Feb. 21 after losing to the Mater Dei Catholic High School Crusaders in the semifinal round of the CIF Division 1 playoffs.
The Crusaders scored their first goal about 20 minutes into the first half, placing pressure on Coronado from the beginning.
“We just shut down after that first goal, it’s tough to come back when you’re in a playoff game,” said Head Coach Miguel Gutierrez.
Despite the Islanders’ strong efforts to bounce back, Mater Dei sealed the deal with a second goal in the last 15 minutes of the game, documenting a final score of 2-0.
“We kind of picked it up a bit more in the second half, we came in with more aggressiveness,” said Gutierrez. “The [Mater Dei] goalie had amazing saves. It’s unfortunate we couldn’t get one in the back of the net, but we tried our best.”
Islanders come into playoffs strong
The loss comes after a strong playoff start for Coronado, coming in as the underdogs new to competing in the Division 1 league. Their record prior to playoffs was 4-10-1.
Facing up against the La Costa Canyon Mavericks for the first round of playoffs, the game was set to be a relatively even matchup as the Mavericks stood at a 6-9-1 record.
The score stayed at 0-0 through the first half, up until Coronado freshman midfielder Breck Dunn made a goal within the first few minutes of the second half. Sophomore midfielder Sydney Dunn quickly trailed behind, seizing the moment of a deflected ball off the goalie with an attack.
With two points on the scoreboard, the Islanders were able to hold off the Mavericks for the remaining 12 minutes, advancing to the quarterfinals with a 2-0 win.
Coronado defeats previous No. 2 team in league
They then took on the Carlsbad Lancers, who were previously ranked No. 2 in the league. The Islanders came in hot, scoring four goals in the first half – two of which were scored by Sydney Dunn, the other two by junior midfielder Maren Hawley and senior defender Lindsey Balsley.
The Lancers pressured the Islanders with a brief comeback, scoring three goals in the second half. The scoreboard was set at 4-3 when the clock ran out.
“It felt really good just because we started off a little rough, but our team has obviously really come on and showed it,” said Sydney Dunn after the win. “It felt good, the underdogs beating one of the top teams.”
The semifinal loss put an end to the Islanders’ playoff winning streak, but the team is looking to bring that newfound energy with them into the next season.
“We kept telling the girls ‘you guys are a great team, and you just got to believe in that,’’’ said Gutierrez. “All of the coaches are new to the San Diego area and new to the program, so we kind of got a taste of what it’s like to coach at this level in San Diego, see the girls play and connect with them. Next year we have a young squad and we are going to come back even stronger.”
