By Dick Dornan
BurbankNBeyond Sports Editor
Two games. Four teams playing their hearts out. In the second round of league action and the final regular season game before playoffs, Burroughs and Burbank put on a display of hard-nosed soccer action between the rivals. The girls game at Memorial Field was just as intense as the boys game at Burbank High.
Girls Soccer:
Burroughs 1 Burbank 0
Brianna Matallana scored with three minutes left to break-up a scoreless game in a wild finish. Captain Tatiana Rizzotti of JBHS sent an indirect kick from 30 yards out into a cluster of players where the ball got knocked around in pinball fashion. Matallana found the loose ball and hammered a shot in to give the Indians the win and earn a split against Burbank this season.
“It was really crazy. Everyone tried shooting it in and I was the last one. I saw it in front of my foot and I just shot in the goal,” Matallana said. “It was very emotional. It’s my senior year and my last Burbank-Burroughs game. It was a really good feeling.”
“I’ve never coached a group that has given so much of themselves to the team,” Burroughs Coach Eddie Garcia said. “They were crying afterwards because they knew how hard this match was. They play with a lot of heart and have a lot of courage.
“At halftime, we told them to keep their composure, maintain focus and try to work for a result. And they did. I’m really happy for them.”
With the victory, Burroughs (13-8-2, 10-3-1 in league) claimed third place in the Pacific League while Burbank (14-9-1, 9-4-1 in league) took fourth.
“I thought we outplayed them in every facet of the game,” Burbank Coach Eric Montoya said. “It’s soccer. You get one bad unlucky play. It’s too bad it didn’t come out our way.”
Boys Soccer:
Burbank 1 Burroughs 1
After clinching the outright Pacific League title on Tuesday, Burroughs (13-6-3, 10-3-1 in league) got more than they expected with Burbank (6-9-3, 4-7-3 in league) on Thursday. The Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead late in the first half. The Indians battled back when Brandon Gerlach scored off an assist from Manny Celio mid-way through the second half.
The CIF playoff brackets for boys and girls will be released on Monday morning.
