The Lady Buccaneers varsity soccer team has built a stunning 16-2 record and a 7-0 Central League performance. But Clairemont High is also undefeated, with no ties in league play.
Although it is late in the season, because of a first-round rainout, the two contenders have not met. But after Thursday there will be only one undefeated team. The battle for the Central League title starts at 3 p.m. Jan 31 on the Chieftains’ field.
“Clairemont is a good team. They’ve had a good season at 10-4,” said Mission Bay head coach Jorge Palacios. “We will have to play our best and not give them anything.”
Mission Bay’s balanced attack has been boosted by the team’s freshmen as well as its seniors and other veteran players on the squad. Leading the team and the San Diego section in scoring is senior Roshana Lavery, with 29 goals.
“We have a lot of speed and ball-collecting ability,” Lavery explained. “We have been playing together a long time now and are pretty effective. Clairemont has a good goalie. But we have good defenders too.”
Praised for her speed, Lavery has accepted a softball scholarship to San Diego State University.
The Lady Bucs got in a non-league romp against Lincoln Monday, Jan. 28, as a tune-up for the big game against Clairemont. Mission Bay defeated Lincoln 13-1.
Seven different players scored goals. With remarkable accuracy to her kicks, senior Becca James led the crew with four goals.
“She’s a great shooter ” we have been trying to encourage her to shoot more,” Palacios said. “Becca’s scored three games in a row now.”
James’ first goal came 5 minutes into the game. In the second half, she added a clean breakaway shot by the Hornet goalie. After Lincoln lobbed in its lone goal, just under the bar, James added the next two goals on a precise poke into the corner and one rebound put-away.
Lavery also added a hat trick of three goals for the Lady Bucs. Two came on swift breakaways placing her one on one with the goalie. The other came off a rebound pick-up in the first attack of the second half.
Freshman forward Stephanie Urrutia provided two back-to-back goals late in the first half. The first came on an unassisted drive up the baseline and under the reach of the goalie. The second shot threaded the needle just inside the pole, past the goalie’s reach.
A beautiful lob into the center by S. Urrutia was delivered into the net with a header in by Brooke Bruce.
Freshman Jessica Diaz also added two goals. The first into an empty net after she faked her way past the goalie 20 yards out. The second was a put-away of another rebound in traffic.
In the final seconds, Erin Planert drove toward the net between two defenders and blasted the goal off the hands of the goalie.
Mission Bay’s goalkeeper senior Jeanette Urrutia retains a great goals-against average of less than 1/4 goal per game (0.21) including 11 shutouts.
At Mission Bay’s final home game, they will host Crawford Feb. 7 at 3 p.m. League play continues through Feb. 12, followed by the playoffs.
Information about girls soccer, including club experience for young players, is available from Palacios at MBHS at (858) 273-1313 x 271.