WESTLAKE VILLAGE — The Oaks Christian girls soccer team continued its unbeaten streak with a 3-0 victory against Thousand Oaks in the opener of Marmonte League play Tuesday night as heavy winds blustered through the trees, banners and goalposts of Thorson Stadium.
The heavy winds that plagued the Greater Los Angeles area and the resulting possibility of power outages had postponed the boys soccer and basketball games between the two programs at Thousand Oaks, but Oaks Christian girls soccer remained on schedule.
As the players battled on the pitch, bottles, corner flags and trash cans were knocked to the ground.
In the stands, leaves and dust from nearby trees rained over the faithful, bundled up and huddled together for warmth.
Both teams struggled with the wind in the opening minutes, misplacing passes and fumbling the odd first touch. After 10 minutes, both Oaks Christian (11-0-1) and Thousand Oaks (3-5-1) adjusted and began to put together positive passing displays.
“With conditions like this, you never know how the ball’s going to bounce,” Lions head coach Sebastian Alvarado said. “The girls did a good job, they settled down and played our game.”
Despite the weather, the Lions found a way to win, scoring a trio of impressive goals.
While Thousand Oaks put pressure on the Lions early, the home team found the back of the net on their first attempt.
An Oaks Christian player crossed the ball into the box after 21 minutes, finding forward Scarlette Druian. The senior, with one defender behind her, elevated and headed the ball into her near post.
As the home crowd cheered for the opener, so did the uprights of the field goals on either side of the pitch, rattling with the wind.
Junior midfielder Jonnie-Jane Quiroz starred on both sides of the ball, nabbing the last two goals and sealing the deal for Oaks Christian.
Quiroz also played a fundamental role in the Lions’ effort to control possession and win the ball back on defense. She was the linchpin of Alvarado’s offense, distributing the ball to the wider areas and dictating the pace of play.
Up 2-0 at halftime, the Lions dominated possession in a relatively quiet second half in which the wind was anything but, treating Thorson Stadium like a bugle playing Reveille.
The only interruption to the song was Quiroz, who struck the ball on the edge of the box and watched as it curved past the outstretched Lancers goalie.
Despite the defeat, Thousand Oaks composed a positive display in the first half. The Lancers had the first big chances of the night and were the better team in the opening minutes.
In the 27th minute, sophomore forward Luchiana Shattuck dribbled past her defender and struck the ball which rattled along the left post. The chance was Thousand Oaks’ closest of the night.
The Lions have an away game Friday at Newbury Park. The Lancers travel to Calabasas for a match on the same day.