Girls soccer: Johnson strike lifts Oak Park to first sectional semifinal in 16 years
Senior striker Malea Johnson scored from distance with 10 minutes to play as the Oak Park girls soccer team edged host Montclair, 2-1, in a CIF-Southern Section Division 3 quarterfinal match on Wednesday.
The win lifted the Eagles, which had opened the postseason as a wild-card team after finishing third in the Coastal Canyon League, to their first semifinal in 16 years.
“We’re peaking at a good time,” said Oak Park coach Kathryn Klamecki. “We’re playing good soccer right now.”
Senior Ava Dermott also found the net and senior Macie Baird and Natalee Elazary had assists for Oak Park (13-6-2), which has outscored its four postseason opponents, 11-3.
“They were quick,” Klamecki said. “They played well. We didn’t take them lightly.”
Oak Park will host Irvine-University on Saturday for a place in the final.
More: Boys soccer: Newbury Park, Foothill Tech advance to semifinals
“They’re enjoying being together,” Klamecki said. “The girls are bonded. We’re in a good place right now, so we’re excited for Saturday.”
Klamecki said Oak Park was prepared for postseason play by its tough league matchups with Moorpark and Camarillo.
“One of the advantages we have is playing in the Coastal Canyon League,” Klamecki said. “We play a tough league schedule and a tough preseason. Once we get to the postseason, we’re well prepared.”
Oak Park has 10 seniors, including its spine of goalkeeper Ainsley Gove, defender Baird, attacking midfielder Dermott and striker Johnson.
“The seniors are the ringleaders,” Klamecki said.
Klamecki was well aware of the program’s last trip to the semifinals. She was the holding midfielder on the 2008 team, which fell to Oaks Christian 2-1 in the Division V semifinals.
Division 1
Rancho Cucamonga-Etiwanda 5, Westlake 2: A nightmare first half ended the Warriors’ season at home.
Westlake conceded two goals in the first 14 minutes and, after losing central defender Brooke Pollard to an injury, conceded two more in a minute's span to fall behind 4-0 at the half.
“It was some self-inflicted wounds with the compound of Brook going out, which really affected us,” Westlake coach Frank Marino said.
After Etiwanda added a fifth goal on a free kick early in the second half, KK Chowena converted a penalty kick earned by Layla Simon in the 57th minute and Emma Naftzger added another goal for the Warriors in the 67th minute.
More: Girls basketball: Oxnard's run in Div. 1 ends with quarterfinal loss to defending champ
“It was disappointing because we could see that we could have played much better against this team,” Marino said. “We kept creating chances. We kept fighting, even down 5-0.”
Westlake’s season ended at 13-3-4.
Division 2
Chino Hills-Ayala 2, Camarillo 1 (OT): The Scorpions forced overtime on Aleiyah Schexnayder’s equalizer in second-half stoppage time, but host Ayala responded with a winner early in the extra period.
“I could tell they were frustrated with the way the game was going,” Camarillo coach Bryan Monka said. “They didn’t give up.”
Camarillo’s season ended at 11-5-1.
“We went for it in the overtime,” Monka said. “They made a nice play, it was a good cross with a good diving header to win the game.”
Division 4
Woodland Hills-Louisville at Thousand Oaks (postponed): The Lancers’ home quarterfinal was postponed from Wednesday to Thursday due to a Louisville “transportation issue,” according to Thousand Oaks athletic director Ken Nishiya.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Oak Park earns first girls soccer sectional semifinal in 16 years
