CALISTOGA — If the triple-digit heat wasn”t enough for the South Fork Cubs to contend with on Saturday afternoon, there was also the matter of Middletown High School senior forward Hannah Diaz.
Diaz scored four times — twice in each half — as the Mustangs shut out a banged-up South Fork club 6-0 in non-league girls” soccer action at Calistoga High School. The Cubs had barely enough players to suit up against Calistoga on Friday and hung around an extra day to play Middletown, the defending North Coast Section Division III champion, on Saturday.
It was so hot that game officials let each team retreat to the sidelines for a water break 20 minutes into the 40-minute-long first half. The two teams also agreed to play a 30-minute second half.
“It was really hard on them,” Middletown coach Louise Owens said of the Cubs, who were few in numbers, playing their second game in as many days and reeling from the heat on Saturday.
Rosie Emerson added a first-half goal and Caitlin Lemoine had a second-half goal for the Mustangs (3-1). Ashley Hart recorded two assists and Kaleigh Alves had one.
“We looked really good,” Owens said. “It was a good game to get our passing game going. We had three tough games to open the season, so it was a good game for the girls to work out some of the kinks.”
Owens emptied her bench early on against the Cubs.
“Everybody got in and played a lot of minutes,” she said.
The Mustangs open their North Central League I schedule today in Willits at 5:30 p.m.
