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The Falcons (5-3-2, 2-0 SCCAL) were slated to open their Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League season on their home turf but watering issues with the Scotts Valley field led to the San Lorenzo Valley High School Cougars hosting the opening game.
The Falcons instead headed up to the Cougar’s field in Felton and neatly put the game against SLV in the bag in the first half.
Jordin Carlson fired in the first of four Falcon goals 10 minutes into the first half off a corner kick from teammate Taylor Rohde. Carlson caught the well placed kick from Rohde with her chest, dropped the ball to her feet and fired a shot past Cougar goalkeeper McKenna Maness to the back of the net for the early score.
“We had a good preseason playing big schools who challenged our team,” Carlson said. “SLV made us work harder in the second half. We put some goals on the scoreboard but we need to better our game, energy and discipline to compete in our league.”
The Cougars defense stayed strong for the rest of the first half, forcing the lady Falcons to get creative in their passing. They held off the Scotts Valley offense until eight minutes into the second half when junior captain Madison Black scored the first of her two goals for the Falcons. Black first goal came on a corner kick from Carlson that she headed into the net, just past the outstretched arms of Maness to put the Falcons up 2-0.
SLV (4-5 overall, 1-3 SCCAL) answered quickly with a nifty shot from Mariah Lindberg in the 61st minute that she booted from 20 yards out after beating two Falcon defenders. The shot closed the gap to 2-1.
However, the Falcon defense held the Cougars scoreless for the last 30 minutes while Black and teammate Sonja Gustafsson each scored in the final ten minutes.
“The lady Cougars really gave us a great game and tested us,” said Falcon Assistant Coach Mike Ross. “The Cougars created some adversity and frustration for us while making us adjust and work harder.”
The Cougars play next at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17 at Aptos High.
The Falcons will match up next at Depot Park against Harbor High at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday Jan.19.
