MENDOCINO — These two teams combined for 10 goals the first time they played, eight of those coming in the second half, but in the rematch Wednesday afternoon in Mendocino, two goals from Vanessa Lopez-Beccera and another from Tristin Rhodes were more than enough for the Upper Lake Cougars to beat the Mendocino Cardinals 3-1 in North Central League III girls soccer action.
“Better defense, better passing effort by my girls,” Upper Lake coach Daniella Santana said of the difference between the Cougars’ play on Wednesday against Mendocino compared to the Cougars’ Oct. 11 effort in Upper Lake.
Upper Lake’s next stop could be the North Coast Section Division III playoffs, which open Wednesday. The Cougars (5-5-1 league, 10-8-1 overall) are applying for an at-large berth and will learn Sunday if their season is still going.
“I think we’ll make it and I think we’ll be ranked pretty high,” Upper Lake coach Daniella Santana said.
All three of Upper Lake’s goals on Wednesday went to its talented freshman crop of players. Rhodes scored eight minutes into the game to put the Cougars ahead to stay. While that was the only goal of the first half, Lopez-Beccera scored what proved to the game-winning goal six minutes into the second half. Her second goal later in the half put the game away as the Cougars went up 3-0.
“She played injured, too,” Santana said of Lopez-Beccera, who played only about 25 of the 80 total minutes. “I told her to play as long as she could and I would take her out.”
Kathleen Lopez-Geary, Karlee Zimmerschied and Mallory Henry logged assists in the win.
Santana said both Rhodes and Tatum Salas, another freshman, were Upper Lake’s standout players.
“Rhodes really stepped it up and she played a full game,” Santana said.
Salas split time between midfield and forward.
“She did awesome,” Santana said.
