
The Point Loma High School (PLHS) girls soccer team kept its winning streak intact on Monday with a 3-1 victory over Our Lady of Peace Academy (OLP) to boost its overall record to 6-3-2 after a 0-3-1 start. “We started off the season missing some our players after they participated in a club tournament before our season began. Some of our girls were beat up after that, so I thought a week off would help them rest and recover,” said PLHS girls head soccer coach John Murphy. The win over OLP could be costly. Murphy said some of the lady Pointers suffered injuries that have not been assessed yet. The lady Pointers are undefeated in the last 7 games (6-0-1) and undefeated in Eastern League play through four games (3-0-1). PLHS began the 2008-09 season with a scoreless tie against Bonita Vista, then followed up with three straight losses in the Butch Lee Memorial Tournament against University City (3-1), Bishop’s (4-0) and Santa Margarita (1-0). Point Loma turned its season around during a 5-0 win against Madison High in the first of four consecutive shutout victories, which included wins over Kearny (8-0), Mira Mesa (1-0) and Morse (5-0). Junior midfielder/forward Shelby Murphy has helped lead the way for the lady Pointers with 10 goals and 7 assists through 10 games. Freshman left-midfielder Veronica Perez is second on the team in scoring with 5 goals. Her sister, Bianca, a senior, has also contributed to the lady Pointers’ offensive attack with 4 goals. Junior midfielder/forward Brianna Tumbiolo added 3 goals and 2 assists of her own. “John (coach Murphy) likes to use Brianna as a utility player,” said parent Lisa Tumbiolo, who is also a PLHS women’s soccer boosters member. “She could be at mid-field or defense. She doesn’t have a set position. John likes to take players and put them at different positions depending on where they are best suited for each game.” PLHS will need to have all hands on deck for the remainder of the week when the girls face Eastern League rivals Patrick Henry and Scripps Ranch. The Patrick Henry game was slated for Wednesday at home, while the Scripps Ranch game will take place Friday on the road. “We are entering a tough stretch of the schedule. Both Patrick Henry and Scripps Ranch are solid, but we will have 6 of our next 10 games at home,” Murphy said. The remainder of the regular season schedule includes Eastern League rivals Mira Mesa, Morse, San Diego, Serra, Scripps Ranch and non-league rival Mission Bay.