Canyon girls soccer tops Foothill in showdown for Crestview League title ...Middle East

ORANGE — The Canyon girls soccer team clinched the Crestview League championship with a 2-0 victory over Foothill on Thursday at El Modena High School.

The Comanches (13-3-2, 7-0), who are ranked No. 10 in Orange County, will go undefeated in league if they defeat El Dorado in the final match of the regular season on Monday.

The Knights (8-7-2, 6-2) finish in second place with their only two losses in league against Canyon.

“El Dorado was really tough last game,” Canyon coach Billy Higuera said. “But we’ve got to go out there and finish the league and carry some momentum into (the CIF Southern Section playoffs).”

Higuera figures the Comanches will be placed in Division 1 in the playoffs and is hoping to play a home match in the first round.

“A high seed and hosting the first round and give an experience to the school and to the girls,” the coach said. “But right now, we’ll take whatever they give us.”

Canyon’s goals were both scored in the first half, one each by Sophie Punsalang and Kayla Meadows.

Punsalang was facing away from the goal when she headed the ball into the net on a perfectly placed free kick from Riley Piche.

“It felt so good because our coach was literally saying, ‘Pretend it’s the World Cup. Play your hearts out,’ ” Punsalang said. “So, I was ready to sacrifice my head. I was going up in the air.”

Meadows scored off of a long kick upfield from Sophia Gallacher.

The freshman striker beat a defender to the ball, giving her a wide-open shot at the goal.

“She’s (Gallacher) really good at hitting the ball over defenders,” Meadows said. “So, she just found me over the top and I knew I could place it, so I just placed it and it felt amazing.”

In the second half, the Comanches settled into a defensive mode by making multiple passes without necessarily trying to score.

Foothill was playing without senior Hannah Werdel, who sustained a season-ending knee injury in the Knights’ 3-0 victory over Sunny Hills on Tuesday, Jan. 27.

The Wyoming signee helped the Knights win the Division 3 title last season and was named the CIF SS Division 3 player of the year.

“We lost a player who is one of the best players in the county,” Foothill coach Steve Patterson said. “So, that hurts us a lot. She has gotten us to where we are. It is bittersweet for me. I’m sad on one hand, but I’ve got to keep managing the team on the other. Because we still have good players and we’ve got a good team.”

Werdel, who was on the sidelines on crutches, said she intends to play the role of an assistant coach in the playoffs.

“I’m disappointed obviously,” Werdel said. “I wanted to help my team get another CIF (Southern Section) title. But I am still excited to support them.”

Werdel said she expects to be rehabbing during her first year of college at Wyoming and isn’t likely to play.

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