Injuries Trouble Lady Cougars on the Road
The Lady Cougars took to the road last weekend for a grueling four-game stand starting with Foothill College on Sept. 15. The Lady Cougars put in a great effort and started the game off strong, holding a solid defensive line and battling for every 50/50 ball. A few injuries to key players caused Lassen a few hiccups, but the team united and held strong despite a 4-0 loss to Foothill.
Doing well to shift together as a unit, the defensive block held the Lady Owls to only a few attempts on goal, only allowing one goal throughout the entire first half. It was through their communication and organization that the team was able to minimize threats, while also creating a few chances of their own that were inches from going in.
"Due to injuries, the rest of the group was forced to come together and play even harder for each other, digging deep to cover and support each other as much as possible," said Coach Imaan Kerchgani.
Just moments into the second half a second goal was conceded from a defensive set-piece, while another was given up in the last minute of the match ending the game with a shutout.
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Against a well-equipped and top 10 ranked City College of San Francisco, Lassen turned in a resilient performance in the first half that saw the opponent manage only two goals but rally in the second with six goals to seal the win.
"A determined approach to defending helped our side reduce the number of clean chances and made sure every shot, cross, and pass was contested," said Kerchgani. We were less fortunate in the second half with SF City putting away their chances as the game got stretched due to fatigue."
Lassen battled hard and did not give up, despite the disparity in the score line. The player of the match was goalkeeper, Eva Steffen, making 18 saves, which is may be a new CCCAA record.
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In Monday's matchup against Yuba City, the Lady Cougars bounced back with a vengeance, taking the lessons and experience from recent performances to turn the ship around and pick up a 3-0 victory.
Brianna Mendonca set up the first goal with a beautiful corner kick that just needed a touch to get it over the line. Theresa Luboviski started the scoring, tapping in the corner kick in the final minute of the first half for her second goal of the season. Brianna earned a second assist in the second half, beating her defender off the dribble and slashing in and ultimately laying the ball off for Sarah-Anne Clark who put away a sublime first time finish along the ground.
The dominant performance was capped off by an incredible slolemn run from center back Brenna Mendonca, carrying the ball the length of the pitch and taking on the entire team before hitting a rocket from outside the 18-foot yard box for her first goal of the campaign.
"Defensively the team did well to see out the few dangerous opportunities the opponents created to earn the massively important shut-out," said Kerchgani.
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The very next day, Lady Cougars closed out a long road trip and suffered a 3-0 loss to Los Medanos. Lassen was able to finish out the final half allowing just a single goal and improving off the first half. A courageous effort, the team played in a solid defensive block in the second half and looked to break on the counter, nearly resulting in a few goals of their own. The game got chippy with both sides determined to assert their dominance and leave their imprint on the match.
"I am proud of the team's resiliency especially when they are down," said Kerchgani. "They will not back down from any opponent and they remain composed in the face of aggression. I am confident we have reached a stage of exceptional fitness and endurance."
The team will face Cabrillo College today and finally host their first home match against Lake Tahoe Community College on Tuesday. They will open Golden Valley Conference action on the road on September 26 against College of the Siskiyous.