Girls soccer beats Warren to secure league title

Dinorah Acuña, Writer

February 7, 2012

The girls soccer team battled it out against cross-town rival Warren on Jan 27 at the Justice Stadium at Warren High School. With the San Gabriel Valley League title on the line the girls knew they could not tie again in their second go against the Bears. The possibility of not winning the SGVL title added more tension and pressure for the Lady Vikings to come out with the win.

“Before the game, I was really nervous because I didn’t want to lose against Warren,” center midfielder, Claudia Lopez said.

Despite the tension and pressure the girls were feeling, the game was off to an thrilling start with the Vikings scoring in the opening minute. A pass made by Lopez to midfielder Janeth Acuña allowed her to score with just 25 seconds into the game. The opening goal pumped up the Vikings and aided in easing off some of the tension.

“It was awesome!” Janeth Acuña, 10 said, “Everyone was cheering and hugging me!”

However, the Vikings knew better than to let their guard down against their tough opponent. The girls continued to play aggressively to stay up on the scoreboard. The second goal for the Lady Vikes was from captain Jasmine Medrano’s corner kick as defender Denisse Quan put it in the back of the net with her head.

“I felt really happy and proud of myself because I was helping my team win an important game against Warren,” Quan, 11, said.

In the second half Medrano made the third goal for the Vikings with the assist made by Emilie Botello, 9, however, the Bears were finally able to respond with two quick goals, changing the score board to 3-2. Warren was now determined to put up a fight and hope to come out with the win.

Towards the end of the game Claudia Lopez sent the ball into the box. As Janeth Acuña was about to head the ball in towards the goal, an opposing defender pulled Acuña’s hand sending her to the ground. The referee then marked a penalty kick in Downey’s favor. Acuña took the penalty kick and was able to put the ball in the back of the net to secure the Vikings’ win.

With this win, Downey secured the top spot in the San Gabriel Valley League and is expected to claim the league title once again.

About the Contributor

Dinorah Acuña, Writer

Senior Dinorah Acuña is a first year writer for The Downey Legend, and is also an aspiring student inspired by the fact that she will be the first person in her family to go to college. From the many subjects in school, her interests remain in math, science, and literature. Originally from Arizona, Acuña believes that hard work, responsibility, and respect are essential to a person. She is active in her community with the Normaneers club on campus and likes to do things that involve the outdoors. In addition to her participation in school, the Downey Legend writer has great social skills and does not tolerate violence or selfishness. Acuña joined The Downey Legend because she wants to continue her involvement at Downey High. With a voice in the newspaper, she hopes to share her writing and to make students feel a connection with their school. “I believe nothing is impossible,” Acuña says. She is confident that her positivity can significantly contribute to The Downey Legend. The amiable writer hopes to become a successful part of a working environment. Her goal is to make the newspaper better and to get people interested in being a part of Downey’s Viking pride.