Fortuna girls clear big hurdle in quest for H-DNL title

By barstoolfanatics on October 24, 2019 • ( 1 Comment )

Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Fortuna’s Ava Leonardo (19)

By Ray Hamill — The Huskies took a huge step towards a league title with a 2-1 win over Arcata in girls soccer at Fortuna on Wednesday night.

The Fortuna girls scored twice in the opening half and never looked back, holding the Tigers at bay until the final three minutes of the game and keeping their unbeaten season going.

With the win, the Huskies improve to 9-0-1 in league play with two games remaining, including a title-deciding showdown at Eureka (8-1-1) on Saturday afternoon.

The Huskies also host McKinleyville next Wednesday, and a win in either game would guarantee them a league championship, while a win over Eureka would give Fortuna the title outright.

“It’s two big games this week for sure,” Fortuna head coach Kathleen Lynch said. “We’ll enjoy this tonight and tomorrow, and when we hit the practice field tomorrow it’ll be back to work.”

Both teams created plenty of opportunities in an open and entertaining game, with both sets of forwards particularly dangerous.

Fortuna’s Sarah Hohman

Arcata’s Bailey Cherms and Thea Trout looked fired up from the opening kickoff, with each creating opportunities and testing the home defense early on.

It was the Huskies, however, who got the breakthrough 15 minutes in on a wonderful Aubrie Hall shot across the goalmouth.

The goal helped Fortuna settle into the game.

Up front for the Huskies, sophomore Kallia Yang caused the Arcata defense problems every time she touched the ball and made it a two-goal advantage right before halftime, using her speed to run on to a through ball from Sarah Killfoil and slotting home with a well-placed shot into the far corner.

Both teams began the second half on fire with several opportunities at both ends of the field.

Hall almost made it 3-0 off a perfectly placed cross from Yang less than two minutes in, before the Tigers responded immediately when Trout shot just wide of the target after a fantastic run through the heart of the Fortuna defense.

In goal for the Huskies, Arlette Cruz made a fantastic stop just minutes later off a Cherms shot from the edge of the six-yard box.

Not to be out-done, Arcata goalie Skaidra Pulley made some big stops of her own, including a spectacular save off a long range Nyah Cacren shot.

Cacren had another big game in the center of the field alongside Killfoil, while at the back Sarah Hohman was sensational, sweeping up attack after attack.

For Arcata, midfielder Zakiya Elloway began to exert more of an influence on the game in the second half, alongside the ever consistent Michaela Macdonald.

Trout was rewarded for an industrious performance with a late goal, set up on a wonderful pass from Elloway, and the Tigers battled hard to the final whistle, causing the home fans some nervous moments over the final few minutes.

“I’m happy with the way we played. That match could have gone either way,” Arcata head coach Patrick Stranahan said. “Sometimes you don’t get the right bounce.