The girls soccer squad beat Torrey Pines High School 1-0 in an overtime game Tuesday night at Ted Slavin Field to move to the second round of the regional playoffs. This is the first regional playoff game for the Wolverines, and despite a quick turnaround from their CIF-SS Division I Championship win on May 29, the Wolverines were able to defeat the Spartans. The squad is currently undefeated this season, with an overall record of 16-0. 

After both teams failed to score a goal the entire game, the match went into golden goal overtime. The game finally ended when forward Alyssa Thompson ’23 saved the ball from going into the opposing squad’s possession. Forward Ariana Azarbal ’22 then assisted Daniela Quintero ’22 who scored the game-winning goal. Quintero said that she is proud of the team’s energy after a long game of struggling to score. 

“We played a great defensive team that made it very difficult to score, so it was such a relief to score the winning goal,” Quintero said. “Golden goal overtime is always a thrill, and I think despite having already played 80 minutes, we went into it with another level of energy and a greater desire to win. It could’ve been easy to get frustrated throughout the game, so we’re all really proud of ourselves for sticking with it and continuing to make our plays.”

The squad will look to play Villa Park High School on Thursday at home at 5 p.m. for the second round of regionals. The Wolverines previously beat the Spartans 5-0 in the CIF-SS Open Division Playoffs on May 29 at Ford Kelly Stadium. 

Azarbal said that the goal for the rest of the season is to take it one game at a time, going in with intensity but also making sure the squad gets enough rest. 

“The game plan going forward is to rest our bodies as much as we can, since we’ve been playing a lot of games recently, and give our full focus and energy to each opponent,” Azarbal said.