Danica Carey’s Final Home Match was Celebrated with a 3-1 Victory
Soccer News: The San Diego SeaLions celebrated Danica Carey’s final home match with a relatively easy 3-1 win Saturday night over Southern California rivals Los Angeles Villa FC, with first-half goals from Nikki Petracca (Miramar College), Cassie Callahan (UCSD) and Angelina Hix (Mira Costa College).
“The winning margin could have been much higher. I think we played a confident game,” said Assistant Coach Lu Snyder (SDSU), “despite being slightly distracted by the emotions surrounding the retirement of one of our most respected and loved team leaders.” Carey herself continued a long SeaLion tradition of securing a yellow-card caution in her final home match, with a 67th minute warning, proving that she wasn’t intent upon going meekly into the WPSL archives. In one of only two serious scoring opportunities created by the visitors, Mary Brazie (Seton Hall) grabbed a goal back for Villa in the 64th minute.
The win moves the SeaLions into second place in the WPSL Pacific South Division, ensures them their 7th consecutive winning season, and puts San Diego in control of its own 2015 playoff destiny. With wins in their final two games, in Arizona against FC Tucson and Phoenix Del Sol on July 10 and 12, the SeaLions (5-2) will secure a trip to Seattle for the WPSL Western Regionals.
“The match against Tucson will be a tough one, because they are well-coached and it’s in their backyard” said San Diego head coach Jen Lalor. The SeaLions are tied with Tucson on points but claim second place on goal-differential. “Every goal, every touch of the ball, will be critical. We have a lot of work to do between now and then, but we will be ready.”
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