Buhach Colony’s Addison Sanchez notched a hat trick in just 17 minutes Saturday and added another goal in the second half, as the Thunder blanked tournament host Ripon Christian 6-0 in the Ripon Christian High School Girls Soccer Classic.
“We made it to the final game,” Knights coach David Morris said. “We worked hard all tournament.
“But credit to them. They are an amazing team and they are beyond us. We can see in that team a team we would aspire to be. We wish we could pass the ball like that and control the ball like that. That’s the kind of soccer we want to play, but even as a D-V (Division V) school we know what good soccer looks like and that is what we wished we played.”
Starting Ripon Christian goalie Tara Heida made four saves in the first half but was unable to play in the second half after taking a kick in the kidney after making a save.
“I think they are a great team,” Morris said. “It’s a shame that they choose to make a dirty play that knocked out our starting goalie.
“The ball was in her possession when their girl kicked at it and got her.”
Teagan Chapman replaced Heida at halftime and made perhaps the play of the game for the Knights (7-2-3). Chapman came out beyond the 18 to rebound a shot, but the Thunder (7-2-3) of Atwater got to the ball and got a shot off before she could reestablish herself in the box. She jumped toward the left upright and knocked the ball outside of it from behind, notching one of her three saves.
Buhach Colony had a game plan and stuck to it.
“We just came out and stuck to the game plan,” Thunder coach Richard Howard said. “We want to hit our wide areas and come back and look for those crosses and get it in to 21 (Sanchez).
“She has that speed and she has a foot on her. She is a solid player.”
Two of Sanchez’s goals were on breakaways. The other two were assisted by Mia Howard.
“Our team communicated well,” Sanchez said. “And we played well as a unit.”
Lena Llamas added a goal assisted ny Alex Dickey and Mia Howard notched her third assist on a goal by Sophia Alcorn. Buhach Colony goalie Lexi Garibay posted three saves.
Ripon Christian 1, Oakmont 0
The Knights edged the Vikings from Roseville in the final game in pool play to earn a spot in the final.
Just eight minutes into the game, Maya DeJong scored off of a corner kick from her sister Addison DeJong. Ripon Christian took 15 more shots but that one ended up being all then Knights needed.
“Thanks to a strong defensive line anchored by juniors Anika Schooland and Dayna Koolhaas and the goalkeeping work of Tara Heida, the one goal was all the Knights needed to win and advance to the final,” Morris said.
Ripon Christian hosts Orestimba on Tuesday at noon in a Southern League contest.
