Women’s soccer: Scoring drought definitely over

On their first conference game of the season, away at El Camino College on Oct 1, the Lancers built a 3-0 lead by the end of the first half and kept El Camino from scoring in the second half, completing their fourth clean sheet of the season by only allowing four goals in their last seven games.

Amanda Papac, just prior to scoring her second goal, connects with El Camino keeper Daisy Gudino, in their opening conference game 3-0 win against El Camino College in Torrance on Oct 1, 2013. (Courier/Benjamin Simpson)

The Lancers dominated the game and the first goal came from perfect team play. Helena Macintosh—who scored a hat trick in the last game—slotted a ball between the defenders for Amanda Papac, who then chipped it over the keeper.

“I got a beautiful ball from Helena Macintosh, she placed it perfectly and I was lucky enough to get the shot off before the keeper came out,” Papac said.

The second goal, also scored by Papac, was a bit messier. With the ball chipped into the center, both Papac and the El Camino keeper Daisy Gudino went up for the ball. The ball came loose and bounced away, allowing Papac to knock it easily into the net. The El Camino players complained that the ball was in the keeper’s hands, but the goal stood.

The third goal came from a cross by Carmen Aguilar. Isabella Montano was waiting at the back post and headed it back across the face of the goal. The keeper touched it, but was not able to keep it out.

“I was just in the right spot and I put my head on it,” Montano said.

With six goals in the last two games, the preseason scoring drought has quickly come to an end.

“Thank God. It’s about time,” Papac said. “We’ve definitely found our rhythm and it’s going to start picking up a lot more from here on out.”

Two of the Lancers leading forwards are out with injuries. Papac left the game near the end of the first half with a knee injury. She is estimated to be out for two weeks. Cassandra Saavedra is out for three weeks with an ankle injury.

“The last week we have been working on our attack and it’s coming around,” Coach Reggie Rivas said. “They are going great, I am very proud of the girls. They are working really hard in training and its getting results in the game.”

“Overall I think we did pretty good, not a bad way to start off league,” Montano added.