Cavers upset top-seeded Mira Mesa in D3 title game
By Breven Honda
for the Union Tribune.
Seventh-seeded San Diego High School and top-seeded Mira Mesa High School were battle-tested during their run to Friday’s CIF San Diego Section Division 3 championship game.
It only makes sense that the girls soccer final would be a nail- biter, too. San Diego’s Ella Carrico scored in transition on a pass from senior Eve Hudson late in regulation to give the Cavers the 2-1 upset win.
Carrico’s goal came less than 5 minutes remaining. “The cross from Eve was amazing, but that finish was unbelievable,” Cavers coach Bryce Towne said. “Like, you couldn’t have placed the ball better for that finish. It was incredible.” Carrico, who transferred from High Tech-Mesa last year, has found herself right in the middle of the Cavers’ offense. “I didn’t even look at the clock,” said Carrico, whose game- winner was her first of the season. “Then after the goal, I looked at the clock, and there’s, like, two minutes, three minutes left.
There’s no way to describe it.” The Cavers, who were the runners-up in Division 3 two years ago, had the momentum and controlled much of the possession in the first half. Eventually, the Cavers (11-8-1) found the back of the net. In the 24th minute, junior Annabel Grentz, who had open space, took a couple of dribbles up the field and fired the ball into the net to give San Diego a 1-0 lead. “There’s a few girls where we go wherever they go. Annabelle is one of them,” Towne said. “So her leading from the front is gonna happen every single game. And that goal is just an absolute banger. Both our goals are absolute bangers. “Mira Mesa is a good defensive team. You’re going to have to score good goals against them.”
The Marauders (19-2-2) were held scoreless for the first 65 minutes before they got on the scoreboard. Junior Kalia Riney took a free kick from 11 yards out. The shot bounced off a couple heads and to Marauders junior Shyla Karim, who used her head to find the back of the net and tie the game at one.
“The first half, we dominated. We actually dominated most of the game,” Towne said. “They got their goal off a set piece, which is where they create all their chances, but we controlled the game. “One of our best games the entire year, we really found ourselves in the playoffs, and we’ve played really well the entire playoffs.”