Staff Writer
Photos by Stephanie Kim
The varsity girls’ soccer team triumphed over the Temple City Rams 2-0 at home, on Friday, January 22. The Tigers demonstrated fluid ball movement throughout the game and controlled nearly every possession, pulling away their third win in a row and a 3-1 Rio Hondo League record.
The beginning of the first half proved to be a struggle for both teams, with many back and forth possessions. However, the Tiger defense, which prevented goals from the previous two teams South Pas played against, created momentum once again with several crucial stops. Midway through the half, senior midfielder Lauren Richards moved the ball up the field and made a pass over the heads of several defenders to sophomore forward Isabella Gonzalez, who then shot past the goalkeeper and drew first blood. This goal forced the Rams to try to play catch up for the rest of the game.
For the most of the second half, the scoreboard remained unchanged. The Tiger defense put up a strong performance, with notable saves from sophomore Riley Segal and senior Amelia De Young. Though the Tigers moved swiftly for good looks at the goal, none of the players were able to score again until very late in the period. In the last few seconds of the game, sophomore midfielder Emily Dunn worked it past several defenders and shot hard, placing the ball in the upper left corner of the goal and hitting the final nail in Temple City’s coffin.
“We started out rough, but once we got under control we finally started to dominate the game,” Richards said, “We are also finally gaining confidence and our defense has been really stepping up but our work as a team is what makes us win these close games.”
The Tigers hope to continue their longest win streak of the overall season in the upcoming game at Monrovia on Wednesday, January 27.
