UPPER LAKE >> Four tournament games, four wins for the Middletown High School varsity girls soccer team, which walked off with the title on Saturday at the inaugural Tyler Duncan Memorial in Upper Lake.
Middletown (5-0) completed its tournament run on Saturday with a 6-0 victory over Clear Lake in morning action and a 3-0 win over Upper Lake in afternoon play. The Mustangs outscored their four tourney opponents by a combined 17-1.
In the win over Clear Lake, Ellie Bazzano scored twice and assisted on two other goals while Sophie Kucer added two goals and one assist.
The younger Cardinals put forth the effort, according to Middletown coach Lamont Kucer, but couldn’t keep up with the more experienced Mustangs.
“They were trying, but many of their younger players are still learning,” he said.
While Middletown was without veteran forward Julisa Garcia, who had scored goals in each of Middletown’s first three games, its deep bench more than compensated.
“With Garcia out that opened up a spot for some of our younger player,” Kucer said.
Middletown had 30 shots on goal and scored three times in each half. Bri Alves and Harper Moreno also scored for the Mustangs. Olivia Kucer, Maddie Ferguson and Nayla Chaires had assists.
In afternoon action, Middletown turned back the tournament-host Cougars, who put up a pretty good fight, according to Kucer.
“They were better than I thought they would be,” Kucer said of the Cougars, who trailed only 1-0 after the first half. “They have a really good keeper (Cheyanne Obedoza).”
Kucer scored in the first half for the Mustangs while Alyssa Terry, a sophomore, and Harper Moreno, a freshman, added goals in the second half. Chaires had a pair of assists and Moreno one.
The Mustangs were home on Monday to play St. Vincent, the defending North Coast Section Division III champion.
In other soccer action Saturday:
Boys soccer
Clear Lake 3, Upper Lake 1
Tech 4, Clear Lake 1
At Upper Lake, Clear Lake’s boys soccer team split its final two games in the Tyler Duncan Memorial tournament, beating Upper Lake in an afternoon game and losing to Technology High School of Rohnert Park later that evening.
Both Clear Lake and Tech finished 2-1 in the tourney standings, but Tech won the tiebreaker based on goals scored/allowed.
Ulices Valencia scored all three Clear Lake goals in the victory over Upper Lake. Assisting on those goals were Nick Holmes, Bryan Jimenez and Diego Sonato.
Valencia’s penalty kick in the second half was Clear Lake’s lone goal against a Tech team the Cardinals beat 4-3 on Friday in tournament action.
Clear Lake is 2-1 on the season.
