Even though the Carson High girls soccer team came into Tuesday's first round zone playoff game with a 14-1-1 record and McQueen a 4-9-3 record, Lancer coach Mike Faker still thought his team had a chance against the Senators.
"We figured we'd hang with them," Faker said. "There's no one player to shut down because they really don't have a star. But they're pretty solid at every position."
Faker's rationale was precise because four different Senators scored as Carson beat McQueen 4-0 at Carson High.
The Senators (15-1-1) now play Reed High in the zone semifinals at 4 p.m. on Thursday at Reed. The Raiders (13-2-2) defeated Reno 3-2 on Tuesday. In Carson's first game of the season, they beat Reed 3-2 but if the Senators can win on Thursday, they'll advance to their fourth straight zone final.
The Senators wasted no time in trying to get there against the Lancers as they jumped out to a 3-0 lead just 20 minutes into the game.
In the 9th minute, Ali Banister put Carson up 1-0 after scoring on a pass from Allison Williamson. Then in the 15th minute, Banister set up Erin Stieber, who scored on a low shot for a 2-0 Senator lead. Then three minutes later, Bria Dankworth's corner kick found Erika Landis, who was left unmarked in the McQueen penalty box and fired her shot into the net for a 3-0 lead.
Then the Lancers started to put some things together. In the 22nd minute, Hayley Roberts had her shot bounce off the crossbar. Then in the 25th minute, Carson goalie Krissy Rose bobbled one of her saves and the Lancers had a series of shots that didn't find the net.
"We didn't get any breaks and too many things went wrong," Faker said. "We had too many little mistakes and that's what gets you."
In the second half, Carson could've scored four or five more goals again within a 20-minute span. On two different occasions, Stieber found Banister, who was alone in front of the goal but couldn't convert. Then in the 58th minute, Stieber put her wide open shot over the goal and in the 65th minute, Emily Maier's shot hit the crossbar.
"We had a little trouble scoring but four goals is a lot," Stieber said. "I think we played pretty good but we have to pick it up if we want to go all the way."
But Carson saved its best goal for last. In the 78th minute, Williamson crossed a ball into the box and defender Sarah Field got onto the end of it and volleyed the ball into the net to give Carson its final lead at 4-0.
"We played well in the first half," Carson coach Mike Popp said. "I don't know what happened in the second half, I think we need to work more on the communication because it was a little quiet out there."
Earlier this season, Carson only beat McQueen 1-0, so the Senators knew they were in for a tough game, despite the Lancers 4-9-3 record.
"When we beat them before, we were just getting started playing together as a team," Stieber said. "But I think that we've come together throughout the season. And any team that makes it to zone is a good team, if they've gotten this far."
McQueen finishes the season at 4-10-3.