Sports
Animo Venice Girls Soccer Team Wins First Playoffs Match
After clenching a second-straight Ocean League championship, the Animo girls win their first match in the CIF Small Schools Division playoffs.
Animo Venice team co-captain Lizeth Lopez scored the game-winning goal Thursday in a 3-2 win over Middle College in the opening round of the girls soccer small schools playoffs.
Lopez also scored on a free kick in the second half in the Los Angeles City Section CIF Small Schools Division playoff match at Los Angeles Southwestern College.
Animo Venice took a 1-0 lead just before haltime when Alexandra Rodriguez made a pass to Madison Hellier-Carvalho who found a slot and blasted in a shot for a goal. Middle College tied the game in the second half before Lopez put Animo Venice up 2-1 with her free kick.
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Middle College immediately tied the score 2-2. Animo Venice, however, chipped away at the Middle College defense until Laura Chavez fed the ball to Lopez who toed in the game-winning goal.
“It was not our best performance in a pretty hostile environment” Animo Venice Coach Kevin Garcia said, referring to the gusty winds that at one point turned over the Middle College goal just as a shot was being made on it. “We haven’t really had a consistent home field, so although we were the higher seed, we played at their home field. But the girls showed that they know how to win."
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The Animo Venice High School girls soccer team won their second straight Ocean League campionship this season, finishing with a 12-1 overall record and 9-1 league record. The girls are the fifth seed in the Small Schools Division and advance to the quarterfinals with the win. They next play Wednesday at 3 p.m. against Fulton High at Fulton High School in Van Nuys.
