On Sat., March 4, the CHS girls varsity soccer team defeated the San Pasqual Golden Eagles in overtime to win the school’s first ever CIF championship.

In the first half, the Lancers controlled possession, but were unlucky not to capitalize on a few great chances.  San Pasqual, on the other hand, played counter-attack soccer and were able to score midway through the first half.

The Lancers refused to go into halftime losing and evened up the score on nearly the last kick of the first half. Senior Makaela Thompson launched a 30-yard shot into the top corner, just out of reach of the San Pasqual goalie.

The second half was a much more even game, but neither team was able to find the back of the net. The Lancers had to finish the game without star sophomore Cindy Garcia, who went down midway through the second half with a knee injury.

The best chance of the second half came from junior Caroline Muoio who dribbled easily past two Eagles defenders before slamming her shot against the crossbar.

After 80 minutes of hard-fought soccer, the game went into sudden death overtime. Senior goalie McKenna Tollack leaped with an acrobatic save to stop a pointblank shot to keep the game alive. Nine minutes into the overtime period, freshman Shelby Lee put away a shot into the bottom right corner to give the Lancers the biggest win in school history.

“Scoring the winning goal was unbelievable. The best part was after the goal when I got to celebrate with the team and all the fans rushed the field. I was so happy we could come away with the win so the seniors could leave with a bang,” Lee said.

Winning the title was an especially special moment for the seniors on the varsity squad.

“It was truly amazing and an experience I will never forget,” senior captain Haley Hendricks said.

The Lancers now prepare to play for the state title at home on Tuesday against Downey at 4:00 p.m.