“It’s just huge for us, because it puts us back in the playoff race,” said Burroughs Coach Elias Garcia, whose team improved to 6-10-1, 5-6-1 in the Pacific League. “The hustle, the belief [were key]. The early goal just helped us out.”
The early goal Garcia referred to came on the opening kickoff, as Crescenta Valley took the kick and quickly dropped it back to its defenders.
Burroughs’ Anabell Gonzalez bolted from her forward spot, swiped the ball from the Falcons and beat Crescenta Valley goalkeeper Apolonia Martinez to put the Indians up, 1-0, less than 30 seconds into the match.
“We got caught,” said Crescenta Valley Coach Heather Fraschetti. “It was less than a minute in the game. We gave up our kickoff. Basically, we gave them the ball. We assisted them. And one on one on the goal, I should think they can finish out.”
Down, 1-0, at halftime, the Falcons roared back after the break.
Alex Barrett-Scherrer knotted the match in the 42nd minute after powering a ball into the net from a crowd deep inside the Indians’ box.
Just minutes later, Danny Cardenas put Crescenta Valley up, 2-1, when she drilled a free kick from 35 yards out. Cardenas’ kick was perfectly placed in the top-right corner of the net, leaving Burroughs goalkeeper Eliana Vasquez — who finished with four saves — without a shot at the save.
But on this night, Burroughs would not be contained.
Gonzalez got tangled up with a Falcons defender in the Crescenta Valley box in the 50th minute, setting up a penalty kick.
It was one of several controversial calls in the match.
Lopez, who took the kick, calmly booted the shot through to knot up the match, and set up the dramatic match-winner.
The loss is a major setback for the Falcons (12-5-2, 8-3) in their quest to repeat as league champions. Crescenta Valley will likely need to win its remaining matches and get some help from other teams to knock off Arcadia and Pasadena to get back in front of the pack.
For Burroughs, the next two contests become huge, including the finale against rival Burbank on Thursday, a match Garcia is ready for.
“We have a game we should win on Tuesday,” he said. “It puts us versus Burbank in the final game of the year. Basically in that, the winner takes all, as far as going to playoffs.”
“Now it comes down to what’s inside,” Fraschetti said. “These girls have talent, they play the game. Now they have to come out with everything in their heart.
