By Gigi Hume and Ben Rodriguez
On Tuesday, April 18, Tustin Girl’s Lacrosse came back strong after spring break and a tough 4-12 loss to El Toro, ready to Tiller Up against the Segerstrom Jaguars. Hungry for redemption, the team’s hard work paid off, as they beat the Jaguars 11-7. The team immediately started off strong as Sophomore midfielder Jasmine Candias (#13) was quick to retrieve the ball right at the draw, giving a clean pass to Sophomore attacker Samantha Cantoran (#16), the perfect segway to a crease roll straight into goal. With chants of “Do it again!” ringing in her ears, Jasmine did just that, driving straight to goal and making a clean shot in rapid succession. From that point on, it was only more of the same, with Junior defender Melody Velasco (#14) scoring one goal, Sophomore midfielder Joni Myers (#2) scoring another, and Sophomore attacker Samantha Cantoran (#16) scoring two more—culminating into her second hat trick in her career. By the end of the half, the Tillers were ahead 6-4—a feat that could not have been accomplished without the tenacity and skill of Freshman goalie Andrea Rojas (#23), who blocked three attempted goals by the Jaguars.
After sharing hugs and smiles at halftime, they came back to the second half more motivated than ever. Despite a rough start, as the Jaguars got in two shots early on in the half, the Tiller Girls quickly bounced back. Within minutes, Sophomore defender/midfielder Citlaly Rodriguez (#3) gained possession off the draw and drove to goal, setting the tone for the plays to come. Again, Citlaly gained possession off the draw, but this time went to X—the area behind goal—before throwing a quick stick pass to Sophomore midfielder Zoey Beckwith (#17), which bounced right into goal. Eager to increase the point difference between the Jaguars and Tillers, Samantha scored another goal, followed by two more beautiful shots from Citlaly, but just as they shot goals, they also shot them down. Another Citlalli, Junior goalie Citlalli Mora (#15), proved to be successful in this facet, as she blocked four shots and only let off three shots in the half, solidifying the W.
After the exciting showing, head coach Max Maldonado gushed, “[They] did awesome. [They] didn’t give up. [They] kept up the intensity the whole time.” Now, as it stands, the girls’ record is 3-13, which they hope to change for the better in their last two games of the season against Rosary and El Toro.
The Tiller Girls’ next game is on Monday, April 24 against the El Toro Chargers at home. Come out and support!
Follow @Tiller_Lax on Twitter to keep updated on upcoming games.