This year has been a whirlwind for the La Jolla Country Day School girls soccer team.
This time last year, the Torries were licking their wounds from a winless season. But on February 22, the team celebrated clinching the CIF San Diego Section IV title with a 3-1 victory over Calexico at Madison High School in Claremont.
It was the Tories' first district championship in 18 years.
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All three of Country Day's goals were scored by Hanna Eftekari on penalty free kicks, including one with just a few moments remaining in the first half.
“We defended well in the first half… but we got off to a really good start in the second half,” coach Ada Greenwood said. “It was difficult to increase the depth of the team because… [Calexico] There were more players on the team that could be rotated. ”
Midway through the second half, Greenwood said, the Torries started to feel drained.
“We were a little bit down, but we put more energy out there and took two more free kicks,” he said. “We have some very special players and kids that worked hard and fought hard.”
Eftekari has been practicing taking free kicks with both feet to increase his chances of scoring.
“A lot of programs don't do that,” Greenwood said. “But we worked on it a lot. She can bend [the ball] Turn around with both feet. ”
The win was “a great day for the school,” he said. “It's been 18 years since they won a title. It's about the kids, the community, the school culture and the program. I'm just happy for all the girls.”
Greenwood started this season with the Tories after coaching at the University of San Diego for 19 years.
He said this before the playoffs started earlier this month. la jolla light He created an environment where he could “work hard, be punctual, and focus properly on every play. If you make a mistake, learn from it and focus on the next play. Mistakes happen, but the mentality… Don't get too caught up in the game. There are plenty of opportunities to repeat positive habits in an 80-minute game.” ◆
