Oak Park girls on top in Tri-Valley League soccer

Oak Park girls on top
in Tri-Valley League soccer

MICHAEL COONS/The Acorn BALL CONTROL--Megan Rauch, right, of Oak Park tries to keep possession against Bishop Diego. Oak Park won in a shutout.

The girls’ soccer team at Oak Park is riding on top of the Tri-Valley League standings and is ranked No. 1 in California Interscholastic Federation’s (CIF) Division V.

However, those factors aside, the Eagles are still playing one game at a time and head coach Ted Eggleston hopes to have his team at full strength long before the CIF playoffs begin on Feb. 19.

Some of his key players have injuries and they remain unable to play, he said.

The coach is in his 23rd season of coaching, this being his ninth year at OPHS. He previously coached a Boys Club in SoCal United—Las Virgenes—for nine years and he had five years in AYSO (American Youth Soccer Organization).

MICHAEL COONS/The Acorn MAINTAINING POSSESSION--Elyse Rosenberg of Oak Park shows her dribbling capabilities in a recent game vs. Bishop Diego.

Oak Park is playing without junior Daniela Spiegel (center midfielder), who moved to Oak Park from New York and is going through eligibility registration with CIF, and sophomore Tatiana Camacho (forward/midfielder), who’s been injured with a sprained ankle. Freshman Amy Nevers (outside midfielder) hurt a knee in the Bishop Diego game. She had scored four goals the previous two games.

"I like to put her in about 15 minutes into the game and let her go to work," the coach said. "She comes in fresh and she does great things. But now I think she might be out for a week or so."

In addition, senior Courtney Crane (forward) is playing with shin splint pain and has a fractured wrist in two places. "Courtney plays with so much heart," Eggleston said.

"If we can get all our people back and everybody healthy, then we’ve got a shot. We have to get people back and get Daniela (eligible) and Courtney healthy. That’s just so key to us."

Yesterday the Eagles played the La Reina Regents and tomorrow Oak Park will host the Fillmore Flashes. Next Wednesday, the Eagles will host the Carpinteria Warriors. All games start at 6 p.m.

Last Friday, Oak Park beat the St. Bonaventure Seraphs, 1-0. Senior Nicole Purkey (forward/midfielder) scored off an assist from Crane in the 18th minute. Senior goalie Krista Clinton made two saves; it was her 11th shutout this season.

A week ago yesterday the Eagles beat the Bishop Diego Cardinals, 7-0. Crane scored three goals and had two assists. Senior Allison Bernstein (forward/midfielder) and Purkey had two goals each. Junior Laura Pittman (defense) was credited with a pair of assists and Purkey had one.

Oak Park began this week with an 11-1-2 overall and a 4-0 league record with all of its wins by shutouts.

"The key to the team has been our defense. So far, we’ve given up three goals," Eggleston said.

One of those was a goal scored in the last 30 seconds––with substitutes playing––and the other two were at a tournament when the team was competing without several players.

"We’ve given up so few goals and we’ve got the best back line we’ve ever had with Whitney Steininger (sophomore sweeper), Laura Pitman (junior defender) playing on the right. Roxana Sadeghi (sophomore defense) is playing on the left."

It’s Steininger’s 11th year of playing soccer, including at OPHS and on AYSO and club teams.

"We bonded so much last year," Steininger said. "For everyone to fit in—we had six freshmen last year—we just stuck together. We bonded automatically. It was amazing. I’ve never been on a team like that. I think we’re going to have a good season this year."

The coach also had praise for a fomer cheerleader, now player.

"Purkey was the cheerleader captain for three years and decided this year she was going to come out," Eggleston said. "She is such an incredible athlete that for her to come out cold like that, she just keeps on improving."