On Paper, it was not supposed to be close between No. 14-seeded Ventura and No. 3 Long Beach Saturday in the second round of the Southern California Regional Playoffs. In reality, just 46 hours after defeating Moorpark in penalties to advance, the Pirates left everything on the field again and played the Vikings to a scoreless draw through 76 minutes of soccer before yielding the eventual game winner to LBCC. Even thin, VC continued the fight to the final whistle, living up to the highest expectations for the team in their season finale.
Goal keeper Isa Garcia anchored a solid defensive effort as she and the back line of Elisa Merlos, Elizabeth Mika, Jessica Aguilar and Alondra Sanchez teamed up to stop the Viking attack in the opening 45 minutes. Garcia had a pair of saves in the 14th and 17th minutes, respectively minute and a LBCC free kick from outside the box in the 39th minute sailed high. Jillian Smith had a shot on goal for VC in the 21st minute. The Pirates and Vikings went to intermission level at 0-0.
Garcia recorded another save in the 49th minute and Andrea Ibarra just missed a goal for Ventura with a header off a free kick six minutes later. Crystal Vargas missed wide left for the Pirates in the 73rd minute before Long Beach took the lead with a goal in the 76th minute. Emily Ramirez and Desire Lopez each had shots in the furious effort by VC to find the equalizer in the final minutes, but both were turned back by the Viking goal keeper. When the final whistle blew soon thereafter, the game and the Pirates' season in the 1-0 setback.
"We are so proud of the 2023 team," said head coach Steve Hoffman after the game. "They left everything on the field."
"Playoff games are settled by small margins that are the difference between going forward or not. The memories we have made will last a lifetime."