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Lemoore ladies soccer advances to Division II semifinal at WYL champ Redwood
On a untypically pleasant winter evening, it was Chloe Chedester that scored first for the Tigers, booting a free kick into the goal late in the first half as the Tigers took the early lead over CVC, the Section's No. 14 seed. Lemoore, ranked No. 6 in the playoffs, improved to 15-5-2 with the win and will need a solid effort to defeat WYL champion Redwood High School, the No. 2 seed.
"We'll have to play quick one-to-two touch passing," said Tiger Coach Janet Brown. "We'll need to apply quick pressure and play aggressive, smart soccer. Plus we'll have to shut down their best striker, No. 23 (Brooke Crisp). Not easy to do," said Brown.
Purchase soccer photos from Bill Burris at www.lemooresports.com
Gametime is 7 p.m. under the lights at Redwood High School Tuesday night. The winner of Tuesday's game will play the winner of the Madera South and Edison contest, probably next Thursday. The Rangers field one of the best soccer teams in the Central Section, going undefeated in the WYL at 12-0 and compiling an overall record of 20-3-3. Redwood defeated Lemoore twice this past season.
Tigers beat Tulare Union
Lemoore’s varsity soccer gals earned a spot in the second round of the Division II playoffs with an overtime victory over Tulare Union Wednesday night in Tiger Stadium. Monica Raulino, who pleaded with Coach Janet Brown to kick the game-winning penalty kick, did just that as the Tigers took advantage of a Tulare miss to boot the winning point and advance in the playoffs.
The Tigers, who finished second, behind Redwood High School in the West Yosemite League, will hosted Central Valley Christian in the Division II second round Friday night at 7 p.m. in Tiger Stadium, a game the Tigers won 2-1.
With the win, Lemoore improved its record to 15-5-2 overall.
CVC finished atop the Central Sequoia League standings with a 9-0-1 record. The Cavaliers were 11-8-4 overall and defeated Madera High School Wednesday night 1-0, earning the second-round matchup against Lemoore.
While Raulino booted the winning goal, it was the play of goalie Kaitlynn Sweet that kept Tulare out of the net. She played most of the game, including the entire first half, most of the second and all of the overtime. Nothing got past her in regulation and Tulare managed to score just two of five penalty shots, setting up Raulino’s winning kick.
“It was a tough battle,” said Brown. “Tulare Union played fast and aggressive and we had to pick up the tempo against them. I was very happy with how hard the girls played and how they didn’t give up.”
During a huddle, Raulino asked Brown if she could take the game-deciding kick. “I was impressed with her confidence,” said Brown.
