The562’s coverage of Long Beach Poly is sponsored by Bryson Financial.
The Long Beach Poly girls’ soccer team will get their shot at history. The Jackrabbits persevered in a thriller at home in the CIF Southern Section Division 3 semifinals, hosting a potent Buena team that had scored 11 goals in their three playoff games up to that point. But Poly continued to play excellent defense, posting their second straight shutout and getting a massive moment from sophomore Kadence Bain, who scored the game-winner in the 63rd minute of a Jackrabbit victory.
With the win Poly will face the winner of Foothill and Portola in the Division 3 championship game, which will either be at Veterans Memorial Stadium or Fred Kelly Stadium in Orange, on either Friday or Saturday of next week. The Jackrabbits will be looking to win their second-ever CIF-SS title, and first since they won the Division 2 crown in 1995 (ironically with a victory over Buena).
“This was such a special night, and honestly to do it with this group and these seniors is amazing,” said Poly coach Angel Zavala. “I’m so lucky to be able to be a part of this. We’ve already made history, and we’re not done yet. We’ve got 80 more minutes to go.”
With the win, Poly also clinched a berth in the CIF State Regional Tournament, which will begin after the CIF-SS championships.
“We’re a senior heavy team and we’ve been saying that all season, but it feels even more special when you’ve been with these girls for so long,” said San Jose State signee Sydney Santos, who played all over for Poly including on the back line. “Making history with these girls as well—it’s the best way to go out your senior year.”
Friday night’s game was yet another special moment in a season full of them for this talented Jackrabbits team. With a massive crowd on hand at Burcham Field to cheer on the home team, Poly came through when it mattered most thanks to Bain’s brilliant moment in the 63rd minute.
After a Buena foul deep in Poly territory, defender and CSUN signee Alex Valente took a free kick that she boomed to the other side of the field. It deflected off of Poly’s Makayla Quesada, falling right to Bain’s feet. She struck it home on the ground for the 1-0 Poly lead.
“To be honest I didn’t even see anything, I just saw Alex hit it, and then I turned around and I see the ball placed perfectly at my feet and I let it go,” said Bain.
A sophomore with electric speed, Bain said the score was her first goal of the year—and it came a few hours after doing hurdles training as a member of Poly’s CIF-SS champion track team, which Is running its first meet of the year back at Poly tomorrow.
“It meant so much to me, I’ve been waiting all Moore League and playoffs for my first goal,” said Bain.
In an unusual twist, the Jackrabbits didn’t take the lead and then try and stay behind the ball and play defense—instead they kept pressing hard for a second goal, as Zavala exhorted them, “Keep the energy up!”
A bystander who didn’t know the score of the game would have assumed based on how the two teams were playing that the Jackrabbits were the ones who were behind 1-0, not Buena.
“We’ve been big on staying on the front foot all game even if we get a lead,” said Santos. ”Every single practice when we’re working on defense, coach Imani is telling us every goal we don’t score ends up in our net. So we wanted to keep the gas pedal down and keep the pressure on them.”
Poly has continued to hang its hat on its defense. Keeper Zadie Kuykendall did a great job in goal with four saves, including a diving one in the second half. But for the most part it was Poly’s back line of Valente, Santos, and Maya Geer that helped keep the turf clean in front of Kuykendall. The Jackrabbits have given up just one goal in four games so far in the playoffs.
Santos was the physical embodiment of toughness. She briefly came off the field with a bloodied nose that was gushing blood. After getting it cleaned up by the Poly trainer she immediately went back in.
“It’s just like routine now like clean everything out of there and get me back in,” said Santos.
While Poly has a bevy of talented goal-scorers, their defense has been the showstopper. Aaya McLyn had been played at striker throughout her high school career, despite being a defensive mid in club and projecting at that position in college (she’s signed with Washington State). Zavala, a first-year coach at his alma mater, moved her back to defensive mid where McLyn has controlled a lot of traffic this season, and certainly in Friday’s semifinal.
“I’m so happy about it because the past years I’ve wanted to play the six, that’s where I’m most comfortable on the field,” said McLyn. “This decision is all Angel—and I thank him for that because he listened to me and I feel like it’s where I’m able to provide the most help to the team.”
All of those little moments and decisions for the Jackrabbits throughout the year have added up to a big opportunity: they’re one win away from their second-ever CIF-SS title, and first in three decades.
We’ll have full preview coverage in the run-up to next weekend’s championship including feature stories.
