Lady Warriors finish second in Valley League soccer standings

Fallbrook High School's girls soccer team concluded the 2016-17 regular season with a 9-7-5 record, including a 5-1-2 mark in Valley League play which earned the squad second place in the final league standings.

The lone league loss was to San Pasqual at home on Jan. 31. The Warriors concluded regular-season play Feb. 14 at San Pasqual and handed the Golden Eagles their only loss of the Valley League season.

"The team did a great job," said Fallbrook coach Sergio Garcia. "Glad to be part of keeping the ball rolling."

Garcia was Fallbrook's girls junior varsity soccer coach for the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons and took over as the varsity coach for 2016-17 after Miguel Trejo, who coached the Warriors for four seasons, took a teaching position in San Bernardino. The 2015-16 varsity finished with an overall record of 15-6-4, which included a CIF Division IV quarterfinal playoff win over Castle Park and a CIF semifinal loss to Southwest.

The Warriors were moved up to Division III for 2016-17 and Garcia sought a non-league schedule which would better prepare his team for Division III playoff competition. The 9-7-5 regular-season record includes a 6-1-5 performance in Calendar Year 2017.

"Finishing good with that record was very successful," said Garcia.

The Valley League had six teams in 2015-16, when Fallbrook's 5-3-2 league record was worth third place in the final standings. The 2016-17 Valley League retained Fallbrook, Ramona, and Valley Center, added Escondido and San Pasqual, and removed Mission Vista, Oceanside, and Orange Glen.

Fallbrook commenced this year's Valley League play with a 1-1 tie Jan. 17 at Escondido and a 1-0 victory Jan. 19 at Valley Center. The Warriors' first league home game Jan. 24 ended as a 3-1 victory against Ramona.

Although San Pasqual was on the preferred end of the 3-1 final score Jan. 31, Fallbrook's second-half goal was the first score against the Golden Eagles in league play. San Pasqual won six league games by shutout, so Fallbrook was the only team with any goals against the Golden Eagles during league competition.

The only blemish on Fallbrook's record during the second round of league play was a 1-1 tie Feb. 2 at home against Escondido. Fallbrook's final home game of the season was played Feb. 7 and was a 3-1 triumph at Valley Center's expense.

"Great win at home," Garcia said of the Senior Night victory. "The girls put in a great game."

The Warriors took 13 shots against the Jaguars. "They had a lot of shots," Garcia said.

The pre-game Senior Night festivities honored the Warriors' nine seniors: Brea Bishop, Valerie Craig, Callie Eidson, Precious Garcia, Lindsey Grant, Jessica Lopez, Joslyn Moreno, Madi Reynoso, and Yuliana Sanchez. Sanchez' sister, freshman Alexis Sanchez, had the game's only first-half goal with sophomore Hannah Diverde providing the assist.

Reynoso gave the Warriors a 2-0 lead in the second half by converting a penalty kick, and Yuliana Sanchez concluded scoring with an unassisted goal. Precious Garcia is Fallbrook's primary goalkeeper and had nine saves against the Jaguars.

Fallbrook traveled to Ramona for a Feb. 9 game and spoiled the Bulldogs' Senior Night with a 5-1 victory.

Scoring in the Feb. 14 game at San Pasqual began when Yuliana Sanchez shot from about 40 yards away from the goal and placed the ball into the net. Both goals in the 2-0 Fallbrook victory were scored in the first half with Sanchez assisting Diverde on the other successful shot.

"Great collective effort by all the girls," Sergio Garcia said.

Garcia said that a combination of practice, team chemistry, and performance was responsible for the victory. "We brought it all into one game," he said.

Precious Garcia made 16 saves against the San Pasqual attack. The shutout also included the assistance of staring defenders Grant, Lopez, sophomore Audrey Petersen, and junior Monica Saltz.

"Our defense did a spectacular job," Sergio Garcia said.

Despite the move up from Division IV to Division III, the Feb. 18 CIF playoff selection and seeding meeting provided Fallbrook with the ninth seed in Division III.

"Club level is helping a lot so there's great talent, great chemistry of the team," Sergio Garcia said.

Sergio Garcia also noted the support of the players' parents.

"Successful season on and off the field," he said. "Happy to be a part of it this year."