MIDDLETOWN — A penalty kick 17 minutes into the game was all the offense the Willits Wolverines needed to beat the Middletown Mustangs in a key North Central League I North varsity girls” soccer game on Thursday in Middletown.
The loss drops Middletown (3-2 North, 6-5-1 overall) two games behind undefeated Fort Bragg (5-0) in the North standings with only three games remaining, including one Monday in Middletown where the Mustangs host Fort Bragg.
Fort Bragg beat Middletown 2-0 earlier this month in Fort Bragg.
While the Mustangs were hoping to have two of their key starters back for the Willits game, only forward Kayla Welton was able to go, and she wasn”t 100 percent, according to coach Louise Owens.
Teina Moore, who has been cleared to play once she obtains a knee brace, missed the game. Owens said she is hopeful that Moore can play Monday against the Timberwolves.
Willits took only six shots on goal against Middletown but still managed to beat the Mustangs, who offered up 17 shots.
“I have to credit their goalie, she did a great job,” Owens said.
Middletown”s defense also played well.
“I thought our defense did a great job,” Owens said.
In other action Thursday:
Clear Lake 8, Lower Lake 0
At Lower Lake, Kaila Sterbank scored three times, Julie Jackson added two goals and two assists and Amber McKinney had a goal and three assists as the Clear Lake Cardinals shut out the Lower Lake Trojans in NCL I interlock action.
Kathleen O”Rourke and Monique Liddard scored their first goals of the season ? as well as their first varsity goals ? for the Cardinals (10-3-4).
“Seventeen girls suited up and they all played between 35 and 40 minutes,” Clear Lake co-coach Paul Larrea said. “We played a lot of kids tonight and they all played well.”
While Clear Lake”s offense struggled in the early going, the Cardinals seemed to have found their stride in the last couple of weeks, according to Larrea.
“I think we”re coming together at the right time,” Larrea said.
Boys” soccer
Clear Lake 4, Lower Lake 2
At Lower Lake, Armando Martinez scored twice to lift the Clear Lake Cardinals to an interlock victory over the Lower Lake Trojans, who received goals from Rodrigo Zuniga and Raphid Aliji.
Clear Lake improved to 5-8 with the win while Lower Lake slipped to 3-7-1.
Chuy Fonseca assisted on both Lower Lake goals.
The Trojans finished the game with only 10 players because one received a red card and was ejected.
Players on both teams received a number of yellow cards.
Robert Anderson had a goal and two assists for Clear Lake.
Volleyball
Kelseyville def. Willits in four games
At Kelseyville, Casey Bowlin made sure the ball didn”t hit the ground, recording 31 digs as the Kelseyville Knights beat the Willits Wolverines 25-17, 25-21, 20-25, 25-8 in a NCL I North volleyball match.
Kelseyville, now 2-0 in the North standings, also received solid play from libero Sarah Johnson, who had 12 digs and five service points; Jodi Snider, who had 10 digs, six points, two kills and one block; and Kaitlyn Goff, who had 12 kills, 10 points, nine digs and six aces.
“She did great,” Kelseyville coach Deanna Goff said of Johnson. “She was getting to everything and I don”t think she had one bad pass.”
Clear Lake def.Clover-dale in five games
At Lakeport, Clear Lake freshman Jesse Sondag made quite an impression on the Cloverdale Eagles in NCL I South action.
Sondag recorded 28 kills and had 16 service points as Clear Lake rallied to beat Cloverdale 17-25, 25-13, 19-25, 25-18, 15-12 in the Cardinals” league debut.
“She was just on fire,” Clear Lake coach Marci Psalmonds said. “She mixed it up with a few dinks here and there.”
Another standout for the Cardinals was setter Claire Mansell with 32 assists and eight digs.
“Mansell stepped it up big tonight,” Psalmonds said. “She was flying all over the court.”
Lower Lake def. Fort Bragg in five games
At Lower Lake, the host Trojans overcame 22 service errors to beat the Fort Bragg Timberwolves 25-15, 25-21, 23-25, 23-25, 15-5 in NCL I North action.
Lower Lake won its North opener largely because of Renita Gilliam”s solid overall play, according to coach Danessa Udy.
“She had a great night,” Udy said of Gillaim, who had 10 kills, four blocks and eight aces. “She had only three hitting errors in 19 arms swings, and the eight aces, that”s great when your middle blocker serves well.”
Darlena White added nine kills and five aces and Tashee Denson and Amber Shoffeitt had six kills apiece. Shoffeitt also had five aces.
St. Vincent def. Petaluma in three games
At Petaluma, the Upper Lake Cougars never got untracked against the St. Vincent Mustangs and fell in three games, 25-19, 25-23, 25-15, in NCL I South action.
Upper Lake is 0-2 in league play.
“I”m afraid we”re in a downward spiral,” Upper Lake coach Sandy Coatney said. “We”ve been ice-cold since the Clear Lake Tournament. The girls have so much talent and we”re just not getting it done.”
Rebecca Grupe had seven kills to lead the Cougars and Caity Falge added six.
Editor”s note: Results of the Upper Lake-St. Vincent match were reported too late to make the print edition of Friday”s Record-Bee.
