Tight, compact and intact is what the Hoover High girls’ soccer team was Thursday when it hosted Burbank in a Pacific League match.
The Tornadoes held tight for 79 minutes. But only lucky bounce is all it took as Burbank capitalized on virtually the only mistake for either side in the match in a 1-0 victory.
A long-distance shot by Burbank freshman Jocelyn Morinaga was mishandled by Hoover’s goalie and ended up being the difference.
“It was an important win for us. I’m glad we came out of here with a win. It was a tough battle,” Burbank coach Dennis Leon said. “Their defense was solid. It was hard for us to break through. A credit to them (Hoover). They are really changing their program here. They came out to battle and compete, which is good.”
Both teams were playing their first match of the new year. Burbank (4-3-1 overall, 2-3 in league) did stay busy during the holidays.
“They did everything we did in practice. Our defense played really well today,” Leon said.
Burbank thought it took the lead in the 46th minute, but Emma Batista was called offsides.
Hoover’s goalie blocked a shot attempt by Sophie Peek in the 49th minute and Batista’s second-effort attempt went wide of the goal.
Morinaga also tested the Hoover goalie in the 67th minute, only to be denied.
Hoover (3-11-1, 0-5-1) did have several long-range shots on Burbank goalie Sydney Evans-Armendariz. But none of them caused any serious difficulty.
