CHS girls soccer falls to South Tahoe

Over the course of any season, it takes talent, chemistry and a little good luck for a team to win a championship.

Right now, Carson is lacking chemistry, and the Senators are paying the price for it.

Carson coach Randy Roser benched three veteran players " Brandi Vega, Taylor Musselman and Brenda Luquin " for more than a half of Tuesday night's Sierra League game against South Tahoe.

The result was a 3-1 loss to the Vikings, who improved to 5-0-2 while Carson dropped to 4-3 and is riding a two-game losing streak.

"The last couple of games we've had internal attitude issues," Roser said. "We needed to get our point across to the older players that we can play without them. These (younger) girls are good and just need experience.

"I can't remember ever losing two in a row (in league) and we've never lost three since I've been here."

Vega played the final 35 minutes, while Musselman and Luquin played about 25 minutes apiece.

South Tahoe coach Clint Lockhart agreed that Vega's absence especially made a difference.

"Obviously it was huge," Lockhart said. "When she came in there it was a big difference. She is definitely the best offensive player in the league.

"It (the win) was good for us. We're building slowly. We're trying to get things worked out. We started to come around tonight. We were better offensively."

Carson had zero offense the first half, failing to get a shot on goal, and that is a rarity. South Tahoe wasn't much better.

"We're still adjusting to the turf," Roser said. "We still have too much pace on the ball. When we're playing the through ball, it stays on top."

The Vikings broke through with 31:54 left in the first half when Elizabeth Webb beat Carson's Jen Johnson, who would leave the game with a knee injury late in the first half and not return. Danica Sheldon replaced Johnson in goal.

South Tahoe, which managed just three shots on goal in the first 40 minutes, almost went up 2-0, but Cassandra Diaz's shot trickled wide left.

It took just 43 seconds in the second half for the Vikes to get their second goal. Sheldon took a back pass and made a poor kick. Nina Thompson drilled it in from about 20 yards.

In the 44th minute, Carson finally got a shot on goal, but it was high and wide to the right.

Vega made her first appearance a minute later, and suddenly Carson had an offensive attack. The Senators fired seven shots on goal, six of those after her appearance on the field.

South Tahoe keeper Alexis Nunes-Fenley stopped Vega, who was trying to stuff a shot home on the short side, in the 52nd minute.

Eight minutes later, Samantha Fishburn played a nice through ball which Vega corralled and beat the South Tahoe keeper to make it 2-1.

Over the next 12 minutes, Carson had a couple of shots, but nothing serious.

Then came a rather bizarre play. A Carson and South Tahoe player collided out near the front of the penalty box. Sheldon opted to come out, and Cassidy Berg made Sheldon and the Senators pay the price by popping it over her head and into the goal in the 78th minute for a 3-1 lead.

Despite the loss, Roser was happy with the play of his two new center midfielders " Natalie Stevens, a sophomore, and Megan Jackson, a junior. He plans to keep those two in their new spots and move Vega to a forward.

JV: CARSON 3, SOUTH TAHOE 2

Ali Cowan, Eliza Matley and Mia Vargas scored a goal apiece to lead the Senators to their sixth league win against a single loss.

Brittany Medina played goalie and made 11 saves.

Mirah Whitmer and Caitlin Cosens also played well.