Zeina Matni Shines for San Marcos in 3-1 Victory Over Ventura
The Royals Capture Their First Channel League Victory
Zeina Matni scored two goals and the San Marcos High girls’ soccer team defeated Ventura 3-1 to claim its first Channel League victory of the season on Thursday night at Warkentin Stadium.
The Royals were in desperate need of a positive result after dropping their first two Channel League contests and took their first step towards the goal of qualifying for the CIF playoffs with the win.
“We were trying to build off our last two games where we had really good, very electric energy, but we needed the final third finishing and the girls responded today,” said San Marcos coach Brian Ziegenghagen.
Matni opened the scoring in the 17th minute after collecting a flick towards goal by captain Leilani Venegas. Once she got behind the defense Matni calmly placed the ball into goal.
“{Venegas} knew I was making that run so she flicked it in and I came from behind and got on that,” Matni said. “It broke the whole defense and I just tapped it in.”
Ventura answered in the 19th minute with a goal by Kaya Fraser. The two teams went into halftime tied at one goal apiece.
The second half got started with a bang as Venegas set up another goal with a long ball towards the Ventura goal that ricocheted off a Ventura defender, but Nicolly Oh was able to stay with the play, gather the ball and slip it past the Ventura goalkeeper in the 42nd minute.
The Royals were clinging to a 2-1 lead until the 67th minute when a moment of brilliance by Matni broke the game open.
Matni took on two defenders on the left side of the field, veered to the middle of the field near the top of the 18-yard box and slipped through a gap in the Ventura back line. The impressive dribbling exhibition put Matni in a one-on-one with the Ventura goalkeeper and she made the most of the opportunity to give San Marcos a 3-1 lead.
“I had dribbled through the two defenders before so I knew I could take them. I was going to hit a shot, but I saw a gap and I just cut it back to my left and took one more touch in,” Matni said. “I was through and I tagged it.”
The Royals (2-3-1 overall, 1-2 Channel League) will travel to rival Dos Pueblos on Saturday, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
