On the pitch at McCarl Field last Thursday in the first round of the Northern Section CIF Division III girls’ soccer playoffs, the No. 3 seeded Yellowjackets applied relentless pressure en route to a 2-0 win over their county rivals, the No. 6 RedHawks.
While Williams dominated possession in the first half, the Colusa defense held strong, rendering the teams even at intermission, but the strength of the ‘Jacket attack, combined with a tenacious defense, was too much for the RedHawks to overcome in the final 40 minutes.
Williams Junior Brisa Garcia broke the scoreless tie early in the second half as she found the back of the net in the 45th minute for what was the game winner, and then added another for good measure in the 73rd minute, which was the final nail in Colusa’s coffin.
Garcia, with statistics posted for just six games, has tallied 17 goals for the season, leading the Mid-Valley League champion Yellowjackets, who have an overall record of 9-1-1, with their only loss coming at the hands of the RedHawks back in early December.
Yet, defense was also paramount in the ‘Jackets win and spearheading the effort was sophomore Ashanti Madrigal, whose impressive performance helped keep Colusa’s opportunities to strike at a minimum.
Although the RedHawks (5-12-3) played hard throughout, particular credit goes to senior goalkeeper Briana Pinon, who despite being bombarded with shots, successfully turned away 11.
With the victory, Williams advanced to the semifinal round and hit the road to face No. 2 Winters (13-4), the reigning NSCIF Division III champion on Feb. 22. ■