| On February 11, 2010 the Scotts Valley Falcons played the Santa Cruz Cardinals at Aptos High School. The game was played under clear skies and great field conditions. The Cardinals had a season record of 9 wins, 3 losses and 3 ties. The Cardinals had a league record in the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League (SCCAL) of 6 wins, 1 loss and 1 tie. The last years SCCAL champion Cardinals and the Falcons were playing for first place in the SCCAL. The Cardinals are well coached and have lots of talented soccer players on their team. The first half started out aggressive and fast paced. The Falcons and Cardinals took turns trying to control the ball and mount an attack. Both teams defenses controlled the tempo of the game and gave very little opportunities to either team towards scoring a goal. The first half had the Falcons with 2 shots on goal while the Cardinals had 2 shots on goal. The half ended with the score being, Scotts Valley 0 to Santa Cruz 0. The second half started with more intensity and fire in the players. Santa Cruz controlled the ball and tried to mount an attack but was stopped by the Falcon defense. Both teams had quality shots on the oppositions goal but could not put the ball into the net. The second half had the Falcons with 4 shots on goal while the Cardinals put 4 shots on goal. The game ended with the score being, Scotts Valley 0 to Santa Cruz 0. The Falcons were once again led by their fantastic goalkeeping and awesome defensive backfield. Freshman goalkeeper Emily Johnson ended up with the shutout, 6 saves and 2 spectacular saves to keep the Cardinals from scoring in the 64th minute of the game. Emily Johnson recorded her 13th shutout in 17 games, only allowing 4 goals this season, in 1238 minutes, with a .258 Goals Allowed Average (GAA) while having 52 saves on her goal. The dependable and steadfast defense was led by senior captain Brittany Kuo, senior Kelsey Baskovich, freshman Kacey Lilly, sophomore Kalynn Morano and junior captain Aly Bothman. The defense had a sterling game stopping the league leading, heralded and talented Cardinal forwards and midfielders. Special kudos go to Kelsey Baskovich and Brittany Kuo for their tenacious and solid defense. The Falcon defense has only allowed 54 shots on their goal this entire season. The Falcon midfielders played a well fought game while constantly battling and thwarting the Cardinal attack. The Falcon midfield was led by senior captain Kailey Payne, senior Amy McDowell, junior Keara McCullough, sophomore Jaemi Mansfield and freshman Madison Black. The Falcon forwards put relentless pressure on the Cardinals with attacking the ball and making runs on their defense. The forwards were led by sophomore captain Jordin Carlson, sophomore Emily Payne, senior Michelle Hunter and sophomore Taylor Rohde. The Falcons fought the entire game and finished strong. The Falcons played with heart, passion and mental toughness. The Falcon ladies overcame hard tackles, injuries and relentless pressure by the talented Cardinal players. The Falcons now have a season record of 12 wins, 2 losses and 3 ties. The Falcons remain in first place in the SCCAL with a record of 8 wins, 0 losses and 2 ties. |