Lady Cards send Malibu packing with soccer wins

The Lady Cardinal JV and varsity soccer teams both won their games with the Malibu Sharks last week. Playing at home for the last time in January, the JV girls won their game, 2-1.Freshman Athena Cabral gave the Lady Cards a 1-0 lead in the 15th minute of the first half on a far post shot from 10 yards out. Malibu jumped back in the 55th minute of the second half to tie the score. The Cards answered five minutes later when sophomore Charlene Gonzalez struck the game-winning shot from 16 yards. Santa Paula goalkeeper Alexis Harvey had six saves.The varsity girls beat the Sharks for the first time in recent memory, 2-1. Malibu has consistently maintained a grip on the Frontier League’s third pace spot, while Nordhoff and Calabasas usually take first and second place honors. Although Calabasas has exited the Frontier League, but was replaced by a more potent Oaks Christian, who recently beat defending league champions Nordhoff. This was a big win for the Lady Cardinals. They’ll take on the Sharks again on February 7.There was no score at halftime, but in the 65th minute Malibu went on the attack and only a smothering save by Cardinal goalkeeper Raquel Gonzalez stopped Malibu from scoring. She cleared the ball out 40-yards and a Malibu defender hit the ball back into scoring position and into the net, giving the Sharks a 1-0 lead. Gonzalez’ organization of the defense helped to limit Malibu to only three shots on target for the entire match.