Palo Verde overcame a first-minute deficit to defeat Sierra Vista 4-1 on Saturday and claim the 4A Southern Region girls soccer championship at Sierra Vista. The Panthers (17-3) won their 16th consecutive game and ended the Mountain Lions' 17-game winning streak. Both teams had already qualified for the state tournament before kickoff.
Sierra Vista (18-3) struck quickly when Isabella Aranas scored on an assist from Arianna Ruiz just 15 seconds into the match. The Mountain Lions controlled possession early, but Palo Verde equalized when Leyla Moreno converted a deflection off goalkeeper Kennedy Zirkel. Caitlynn Nick then took over, scoring the go-ahead goal on a 15-yard shot seven minutes into the second half and adding an 18-yard strike from the right side seven minutes later to make it 3-1.
Olivia Gastwirth closed the scoring with a close-range goal with 25 minutes remaining. Goalkeeper Jovie Wikler made five saves for the Panthers. "I thought we came out a little tight today," Palo Verde coach Pedram Mahinpey said. "The girls were a little nervous, and it showed. But they settled down as the game went along because they didn't panic, and they stayed composed."
Sierra Vista coach Ryan Quinn acknowledged the momentum shift. "We came out with a lot of energy, and I think Palo Verde came out a little slow," Quinn said. "We weren't able to match their energy in the second half." He added that his team intends to make corrections before the state tournament.
With the win, Palo Verde earned the South's No. 1 seed and will face Northern No. 2 seed Reno in the state semifinals Friday at Spring Valley. Sierra Vista enters as the South's No. 2 seed and will play top-seeded Galena. The state championship game is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday at Spring Valley.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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