LAKE COUNTY — Karlee Zimmerschied was a goal-scoring machine in Upper Lake’s 5-0 first-round North Coast Section Division 3 girls soccer playoff win over Roseland Collegiate Prep of Santa Rosa a year ago today in Upper Lake.
With the start of the 2020-21 season delayed until mid-December because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lake County Record-Bee is taking a look back at the players and the teams who were making headlines during the 2019-20 season.
Girls soccer
Zimmerschied unleashed a four-goal barrage on the Grizzlies as the No. 3-seeded Cougars earned a semifinal-round berth against St. Bernard’s of Eureka.
“We didn’t have the mistakes on defense like we usually have and we did a good job clearing the ball,” Upper Lake head coach Daniella Santana said of the Cougars’ performance. “They looked really good.”
Upper Lake’s suffocating defense limited No. 6 seed Roseland Collegiate Prep to five shots overall, all of them easily stopped by keeper Taylor Minnis, who was a spectator for most of the match as the Cougars kept the ball on the Grizzlies’ side of the field nearly all game.
Zimmerschied scored two goals in each half. Vanessa Lopez-Beccera also scored in the first half as the Cougars established a 3-0 halftime lead.
Santana praised the play of Tatum Salas in the midfield and Atlantis Jones and Hailey Reams on defense.
Upper Lake also blanked the Grizzlies 4-0 earlier in the 2019 season.
Clear Lake
Competing in the Division 1 playoffs, the Cardinals lost in dramatic fashion, falling 5-4 to St. Helena after losing a shootout that followed two scoreless overtime periods.
St. Helena won the shootout 6-5.
“No moral victories, but if I have to lose this is the way I want to lose,” Clear Lake head coach Derick Fiske said. “The atmosphere was amazing, the crowd was into it. Both teams played their hearts out.”
Clear Lake was a minute away from advancing to the next round of the playoffs with a 4-3 lead late in regulation play when St. Helena scored to force overtime.
The Cardinals closed out their 2019 campaign at 12-9 after winning just one in 2018. They return all but two starters for the 2020 season, albeit they lost two pretty good ones in Lexi Tejada and Mavis Pyorre.
