Brian king
Heather Herrera is small by soccer standards at a diminutive 5’2″, but she’s a fearless and relentless tackler whose opponents often end up on their behinds after an encounter with her for control of the ball.
And to add insult to injury, Herrera scored the only goal that mattered early in the game against the Corsairs at the Soccer Pit on Friday.
Herrera’s header from a pinpoint pass by Kristin Dyer was coughed-up by goalkeeper Pearla Ramirez and not to be denied, Herrera pounced on the rebound to head home the eventual winner.
“I lost count of the number of shots I had, but I’m happy about scoring the goal and getting this important win,” Herrera said.
In a game Pierce should have won easily, midfielder Bernice Vasquez missed two chances early on, and her shot in the second half was well saved by Ramirez.
A solid Brahma defense anchored by Dyer and backed-up by Nikki Vasquez, Edith Gomez and Lindsey Noah closed down the Corsair offense throughout the game.
“We’ve improved a lot since the beginning of the season,” Vasquez said. “But we need to work on our finishing by talking to each other and finding open teammates.”
It could be a tall order, but the Brahmas can control their own post-season destiny if they defeat Bakersfield, Glendale and College of the Canyons on the road in the last three games of the regular schedule.
“We have to play all three teams above us in the table,” said Brahma coach Adolfo Perez. “We’re in Bakersfield on Tuesday and Glendale on Friday. They’re going to be difficult games with no margin for error. But if we win out, there’s a chance we can even win the conference.”
Despite a warning from referee David Blenko about her aggressive play, Herrera had a chance to add to the lead late in the first half while alone in front of goal, but she shot straight at Ramirez from point-blank range.
“Unfortunately, we were down early, which put us on the defensive,” said a sanguine Patrick Seymour, the Santa Monica coach. “I think Pearla [Ramirez] is the best goalie in the division, and she proved it today. This is my first year as coach and we’ve had a good season in conference.”
Pierce had a chance to slam the door when Brittany Coffin broke through alone late in the second half, but the agile Ramirez smothered her shot. And with time ticking away, Priscilla Cannistraci’s lob from a free kick just outside the penalty area rattled the Corsair crossbar and was scrambled clear.
It was fitting that freshman Herrera’s goal should symbolize the passing of the baton to a new Brahma team when sophomores Coffin, Celesse Hayden, Jessica McCarthy, Leslie Goodman, Priscilla Cannistraci and Elizabeth Santos were honored during pre-game introductions.
With only two teams in each division eligible to advance to post-season play, the final game of the regular season against division-leading College of the Canyons in Valencia on Monday at 3 p.m. may determine the Brahmas’ fate.