By Ed Piper
Grossmont made the game competitive in the first quarter of the Open Division quarterfinals against La Jolla Wed., Feb. 7, but the walls of resistance came crashing down near the end of the opening period as Vikings Margo Tempel, Jordin Morrow, then Katy Westphal began scoring at will to essentially put the match away.
The final score was 13-8, in La Jolla's favor, at its home pool, Coggan. The Vikings are the second seed, placed in the lower bracket opposite Bishop's, the number-one seed, in the upper bracket.
During the brave stretch of resistance, the Foothillers and Vikings traded goals, with Tempel answering an immediate (24-second) Grossmont goal with her score on a penalty shot.
Hadde (pronounced "haddie") Hall, one of the number-seven seed's big guns, hit an equalizer, 2-2, with 2:52 left in the first quarter after Jordin's marker.
Finally, the Hillers' Averie Emery notched another goal at 2:14--following Westphal's score--for 3-3.
But then the pressure of the Open playoffs and the Vikings' smothering defensive coverage caused the walls to collapse, and LJHS Coach Amy Jennings' leaders started to score pretty much whenever they want.
They better enjoy the moment, because in next Tuesday's (Feb. 13) semifinal against number-three Carlsbad, the Vikes won't be able to do whatever they will. It'll be tooth-and-nail.
But enjoying it while they had it, La Jolla's stars started pockmarking Grossmont goalkeeper Merilyn Allen--who made some great saves to keep the Foothillers in the pool--with successful shots.
Tempel gave the Vikings the go-ahead goal, 4-3, with 1:54 left in the period from the back row. They never looked back.
Morrow scored her second goal at :29, and the opening stanza ended that way, 5-3.
In the second quarter, the Vikes went on a blitz, 11-4, the only score given up defensively a shot by Isabella Culver as Morrow swam to the corner on an exclusion.
In all, Westphal scored five goals in the first half, Morrow a hat trick of three, Tempel similar.
The second half was a relaxed (on La Jolla's side) practice, garbage time allowing Jennings and assistant Tom Atwell (on a post-surgery kneeler cart) to put in for the last 1:12 of the playoff game an all-newbie lineup of sophomores Astrid Egan, Kate Morgan, Annabelle Wirths-Tihanyi, and freshmen Juliet Kula and Lauren Ostrom.
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