Mira Costa girls soccer advances to semifinals with win over Castaic

MANHATTAN BEACH — The last time Mira Costa girls soccer earned a shutout, it was the last week of January.

The Mustangs chose a good time to deliver another clean sheet, as they beat Castaic 3-0 in the CIF Southern Section Division 2 quarterfinals Tuesday.

“Our backline was on today,” Mira Costa coach Amanda Cross said. “The whole game they did a great job.

“We’re super proud of them and they helped keep that shutout which we think was super important.”

Mustangs’ goal-scoring sophomore Bria Moriarty had a game-high five shots on target with junior Anna Maertz coming off the bench to score the game’s first goal and adding three shots on net.

Mira Costa senior Nico Shin capped the night for the hosts with a late third goal to seal the win and clinch a second-straight semifinals appearance.

“From the start, even during warm ups, (the energy) was really good,” Shin said. “It’s how we got that win.

“We were hype, having fun, and that’s what it’s all about.”

Castaic senior Keira Rankin saved 11 attempts from the Mustangs before freshman Parker Wiese took over between the sticks in the final 15 minutes for one stop.

Before travelling to Mira Costa, the Coyotes’ first and second-round meetings were decided by penalty kicks following a pair of overtime periods.

According to Castaic coach Jose Leon, the added 20 minutes in each game on top of the 80 minutes of regulation meant his team’s lethargic second half showing against the Mustangs was nothing to be surprised about.

“In the first half we had about five shots to be able to score, but it just didn’t happen,” Leon said. “Our girls have been playing hard for a while.

“They have gone through two double overtimes so in the second half they were just tired — there is not much you can ask for at that point.”

The best chance for Castaic came when the game was scoreless — a slipped pass by senior Leila Sadra was unable to find a finish by sophomore Pyper Ormes who blazed her shot above the bar from close range with only Mira Costa senior goalkeeper Jane Brownsen to beat.

Brownsen ended the game with one save.

Up next for the Mustangs is a meeting in the semifinals against Warren on Saturday at Warren High.

“We have a target on our back,” Shin said about her and the Mustangs’ mentality for the rest of the playoffs. “These other teams want to win, but it starts in training.

“We have to have a good training atmosphere and good warm-up by staying hype — I think it’s what helps us get these wins.”

In other action, both Chadwick and Bishop Montgomery lost in the Division 4 quarterfinals in penalty kicks. Vistamar lost to Cornerstone Christian in Division 8.