It might be a year later than expected but the Eastlake High School girls field hockey team is finally venturing into previously uncharted territory.
The Titans, the top-seeded team in this year’s San Diego Section Division II playoffs, defeated fifth-seeded San Marcos, 2-0, in Wednesday’s semifinals to advance to Saturday’s division championship match.
Eastlake will play host to the Division II final at 11 a.m. The Titans will be out to capitalize on their first trip to the championship round when they meet 10th-seeded Mt. Carmel for the division title.
“It was great to play at home with our fans behind us,” EHS head coach Robert Blas said in regard to Wednesday’s history-making semifinal victory. “The girls are not finished yet, one more Saturday.”
The Titans also received the No. 1 seed in last year’s Division II playoffs but failed to get past the semifinals despite owning a 20-0 record at that point of the season.
The 20-1 finish obviously motivated the returners on this year’s squad.
Alesia Casillas and Taylor Tropp led Eastlake’s offensive attack in the semifinal win over the Knights (14-11-1). Casillas scored in the early moments of the match and Tropp doubled the score at the 20-minute mark on a long shot from the outside.
Goalkeeper Kailey Uribe had two saves to record the shutout win.
“A first for any field hockey team at Eastlake,” Blas proudly noted.
Eastlake (18-1) takes an unblemished 2-0 playoff record into Saturday’s championship round after blanking ninth-seeded Granite Hills, 6-0, in Monday’s quarterfinals.
Scorers include Casillas (two goals), Arianna Lorenzana (two goals), Noelle Ertzner (one goal) and Paulina Gonzalez (one goal).
Fallon Straub recorded the shutout win.
Mt. Carmel (10-13) has provided the upsets of the tournament so far after eliminating second-seeded University City by a 2-0 score in the quarterfinals and third-seeded Mission Hills, 3-2, in the semifinals.
The Sundevils faced off the playoffs with a 2-1 win at seventh-seeded Santana in last Saturday’s opening round.
The Division I championship game faces off at 1 p.m. and matches top-seeded Vista (19-5-1) against third-seeded Canyon Crest Academy (13-10).
The Open Division final is scheduled to top off the championship triple-header at 3 p.m. and will pit second-seeded Scripps Ranch (24-2) against fourth-seeded San Pasqual (25-4).
Eastlake, Bonita Vista and Otay Ranch qualified for the Division II playoffs. South Bay League champion Otay Ranch dropped a 4-0 decision to Mira Mesa in a play-in match while 11th-seeded Bonita Vista ended its season with a 3-0 loss at sixth-seeded El Capitan in the opening round.
Hilltop participated in the Division I playoffs. The seventh-seeded Lancers edged 10th-seeded Fallbrook, 3-1, in an overtime shootout in the first round before ending their season with a 2-0 setback at second-seeded Mission Vista in the quarterfinals.
Canyon Crest upset Mission Vista, 1-0, in the semifinals while Vista edged fifth-seeded Patrick Henry.
For more information, visit the website at www.cifsds.org.
2018 San Diego Section
Girls Field Hockey Championships
Saturday, Nov. 17 at Eastlake High School
Open Division I: (2) Scripps Ranch 1, (4) San Pasqual 0
Division I: (3) Canyon Crest Academy 2, (1) Vista 1
Division II: (1) Eastlake 2, (10) Mt. Carmel 1
Highlights: Eastlake’s Alesia Casillas scored the opening goal in the match but Mt. Carmel’s Sarah Roach tied the score. Casillas scored what proved to be the game-winner with about seven minutes left in the game.
Division II Championship Game
Photo Gallery by Jon Bigornia
