In a rematch of the 2020 Central Section D-I girls’ soccer final, Clovis North and Clovis High battled in another hotly-contested match Wednesday at Lamonica Stadium.
For the third straight time and fifth in six total matches, Clovis North held its opponent scoreless. Offensively, the Broncos dominated possession and made the most of their first-half scoring opportunities.
Clovis North junior Cadence Whitley scored on a second-chance opportunity in the 25th minute, and Alyssa Wheeler fired a long shot into the net in the 35th minute. The Broncos won 2-0, moving to a perfect 6-0 record and 3-0 in TRAC play.
“We’ve been trying to work on it all year,” said Clovis North head coach Nick Pappanduros. “We really played as a unit today, where we were offensively together and defensively together.”
The Broncos’ defense — who hasn’t surrendered a goal in league play yet — was anchored by senior goalkeeper Sydney Hancock, who Pappanduros touted as “the best in the Valley.”
“She is also a phenomenal volleyball player, and she’s going on a volleyball scholarship [to Colorado State],” Pappanduros said. “But she could easily play college ball in soccer too.”
Hancock delivered a clean sheet against a Clovis team that struggled finding a shot against the Broncos’ back line. The closest scoring chance the Cougars had came on a corner kick in the 22nd minute.
The kick missed the foot of Clovis sophomore Jada Hardwick and bounced free in the penalty box before a Clovis North defender cleared it.
“We just weren’t committed to what we were supposed to be doing on that play,” said Clovis head coach Ian Lynch. “We had an opportunity to take a lead but instead, we didn’t. Then we make a couple of mistakes and go into halftime down 2-0.”
Clovis North scored its first goal in a frenzy at the net. The Broncos had a 3-on-2 man advantage, and Clovis goalkeeper Elizabeth Zepeda blocked the Broncos’ first shot on goal.
But the ball ricocheted not too far from Whitley, who chipped in the go-ahead goal.
Clovis North scored again ten minutes later when Wheeler found space for a shot 10 yards outside the penalty box. Wheeler’s strike lifted over the outstretched hand of Zepeda and into the back of the net.
Wheeler, along with multiple players from both Clovis and Clovis North, returned Tuesday from traveling to Florida for a club soccer tournament with Clovis Crossfire.
“I was a little tired, but I knew I needed to push through because this was a really big game for us,” Wheeler said.
The UC Irvine-bound junior responded with a big goal that put Clovis North in control of the match the rest of the way.
In a meeting of top-5 girls’ soccer teams in the state (as ranked by MaxPreps), the two-time defending TRAC champion Broncos delivered a statement win Wednesday. They play again at Central on Thursday.
The Grizzlies entered the week ranked No. 2 in the state by MaxPreps, but suffered their first loss of the season Tuesday at Buchanan.
Clovis (6-2, 1-2 TRAC) will travel to play Clovis East Thursday.