It was Burroughs High’s home game, but clearly it was a girls’ soccer match that meant far more to Muir than it did to Burroughs.
Just two years removed from breaking a 16-year Pacific League winless streak, a victory for the visiting Mustangs would mean one step closer to a league title, something few could have imagined just a few years.
Having defeated the other two Pacific League powers of Crescenta Valley and Arcadia earlier in the week, Muir completed the trifecta Saturday afternoon with a 1-0 victory over Burroughs.
Muir (17-2-4 overall, 10-0-3) now needs just a victory over Pasadena to claim a share of the Pacific League title. Crescenta Valley remains tied with the Mustangs on points. However, the Mustangs defeated the Falcons both times in head-to-head play.
“Honestly, it is so heart warming that some of my teammates have through so much with the forest and losing their homes and they still came out and we’ve together for this goal,” said Muir’s Shelby Gulley, who scored the only goal of the match in the 20th minute.
Burroughs (8-8-5 overall, 6-4-3 in league) had more goal-scoring opportunities than the Mustangs, but they were unable to get one past Muir’s Emily Goldorazena.
“They (Muir) did a good job of playing the counter. They just caught us off guard on that one play,” Burroughs coach Robert Sanchez said. “We definitely had more chances. The girls played as hard as they could and they tried their best, so I can’t fault them for that.”
Burroughs nearly scored in the first minute of the match as Julia Barton fired a left-footed shot inside the box that Goldorazena made a diving save on.
The Bears had another fine opportunity in the 19th minute when Jasmine Varela came down the left wing and put in a fine cross to Isabella Estrada, who directed it with her head just barely over the top right cross bar.
Less than a minute later Muir scored its goal.
“I know I have speed and I put it to use,” said Gulley. “I pushed the ball past both defenders. The ball was initially on my left, so I was just like put it away, put it away. Those were the thoughts in my head.”
Gulley’s left-footed shot beat Burroughs goalie Sydney Evans who had come out to make a save.
Barton had a shot for Burroughs in the 32nd minute, but her attempt from the right side of the pitch missed the left corner of the goal.
Goldorazena had a save on a free kick from Samantha Sizemore in the 53rd minute.
Burroughs appeared to have Muir on its heels midway through the second half.
In the 55th minute, Sizemore passed to Geneva Kiefer who clearly was trying to angle the ball around the Muir goalkeeper, who had come out to cut off the angle.
But her left-footed shot went just wide of the goal.
Burroughs had one last chance in the 80th minute on a free kick that initially bounced off of Goldorazena, who later jumped on the loose ball.
Burroughs will play at Burbank on Tuesday in the regular season finale. Muir will host Pasadena, also on Tuesday.
