Whittier and Lincoln play to a draw
With the start time to Whittier Elementary’s first soccer match in the Daily Pilot Cup fast approaching, one girl didn’t want to play without one player.
“We need Natasha!” the girl yelled.
At this point, Coach Alvin Salinas would take any player because his third- and fourth-grade girls’ team was a player short.
Whittier had eight players a couple of minutes before it played Lincoln in the Silver Division at the Jack Hammett Sports Complex on Wednesday. As Salinas gathered his team, another player made it in time, giving Whittier enough players to field a team.
Then the same player who said the team needed Natasha was at it again.
“Enough!” Salinas said to the girl.
Soon enough that girl cheered up. She saw Natasha Calderon finding her way to the field, seconds before Whittier kicked things off.
Calderon made a difference early with her dribbling and passing. With so much focus on her, another player scored for Whittier.
Ximena Lima found the back of net in the 16th minute, and two minutes later, Calderon had a great chance to put Whittier up by two goals. She missed a penalty kick.
The missed PK was one of two for Whittier, seeing its opener in Pool E end a 1-1 draw with Lincoln.
Lincoln is all too familiar with ties, having tied Pegasus B, 2-2, on Tuesday. Lincoln will take the tie, which is better than a loss.
Two players responsible for Lincoln coming away with a second tie were Lilly Borland and Maia Helmar. Borland recorded the equalizer with four minutes left in the 50-minute match. She took a free kick near the top of the box, sending it over the goalkeeper to even things up.
In the 47th minute, Helmar turned away the same girl who produced Whittier’s only goal.
“They would’ve won had you not caught that ball,” Lincoln Coach Katie Machoskie said to Helmar afterward.
Whittier can still win its pool with a victory against Pegaus B at Costa Mesa High on Friday at 5:45 p.m. The winner advances to the quarterfinals on Saturday to face the winner of Pool D.
“I’m proud of how they played. They worked hard,” Salinas said.
“We just got to capitalize on our opportunities because we missed a lot today.”
Two handballs in the box by Lincoln gave Whittier two penalty kicks, the first in the 18th minute and the second in the 32nd minute. On each occasion, Jessie Darnall or Reagan Weir didn’t have to stop the ball as the goalkeeper.
Calderon’s shot went wide of the left post and the second blast by left-footed Yareli Vargas sailed over the crossbar.
Lincoln took advantage of a set piece late. The chance came after keeper Maria Leon came out to make a nice stop during a one-on-one situation, but she stepped out of the box with the ball and Lincoln earned a free kick.
Borland, whom Whittier denied twice earlier, came through for the girls in leopard printed socks. All she and her teammates can hope for is another draw, for Whittier and Pegasus B, to keep Lincoln alive in the tournament.
