Coyote Classic Soccer Invite - Day 3

December 10, 2019 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


Gilbert's Elizabeth Watts (black jersey) keeps pressure on Mountain View's back third. (Azpreps365 photo)

Gilbert's girls soccer team played its first match in this year's Coyote Classic and performed well enough to take a 1-0 victory over Mesa Mountain View in a Division B contest at Higley High School.

Veteran Gilbert coach Ben Holzer told his team post match they "deserved to win " while admitting he didn't see their best soccer".

"This was our second match and we have a lot of new faces," Holzer said. "We were better organized than I thought we'd be for a second game. Overall  I was pleased."

Other than the first 20 minutes of the match when Mountain View offered its best attack it did not come close to scoring. Gilbert got better on the attack as the match progressed and was able to score the only goal late in the first half.

Sophomore Elizabeth Watts was the catalyst delivering three nice crosses in a 12-minute span. The first two found fellow sophomore Brooke Hesse, who ricocheted the first one off the far post and missed slighty right of the post on the second.

The third cross found the mark as junior Camryn Neal converted deep in the box.

"Camryn's had a few opportunities like that in practice, but didn't make them," Holzer said "She was frustrated, but I told her she was saving it for when we needed it. We needed it today."

The second half was controlled by Gilbert and it looked more in the final minutes the Tigers were the team trailing by a goal as nearly all the action was at the Toro's defensive end.

Gilbert, which won a power-ranking match 11-0 over Central to begin its regular season last week,  is 1-0 in its bracket and takes on Mesa on Wednesday its second pool contest. Holzer,  a Mesa High alum, will go against his former longtime assistant, Kali Harmon, in her first season leading the Jackrabbits. Mountain View is 1-1 in the tournament, 2-1 overall. The Toros next tourney match is Wednesday vs. Mesquite.

Other scores from Coyote Classic matches played Tuesday at Campo Verde and Higley high schools:

Division A boys - Westwood 3, Gilbert 2; Highland 5, South Mountain 0; Red Mountain 4, Shadow Ridge 0; Corona del Sol 2, Central 0; Chandler 3, Basha 2.

Division B boys - Mountain View 2, Maricopa 0;  Dobson 6, Maricopa 0; La Joya 5, Williams Field 1.

Division A girls - Chaparral 4, Red Mountain 1; Pinnacle 3, Casteel 0.

Division B girls - Chandler 5, Westwood 2; Queen Creek 2, Maricopa 2.