Clovis North claims section girls soccer title after ‘fantastic’ goal by senior
There were some anxious moments for Clovis North High girls soccer coach Nick Pappanduros on Friday night.
A couple close calls in the first half made him feel that way, but a second-half goal gave the Broncos a 1-0 victory at top-seeded Liberty-Bakersfield in the Central Section Division I championship.
A Liberty-Bakersfield corner kick about midway through the first half pinballed a couple times in the box before Clovis North cleared it.
Shortly after that, freshman goalkeeper Brooke Oldham made a one-on-one save.
Pappanduros said the referees checked with each other about one of the calls near him on the sideline.
“Ref said, ‘Hey, did that ball go in?’ They said, ‘No, it did not.’ That was one of the closest calls.”
The defensive plays gave the Broncos a chance to cash in, and a goal by senior Braedyn Kincade in the 60th minute on a strong shot was the difference.
“She kept her composure and struck the upper right corner,” Pappanduros said. “It was fantastic.”
Pappanduros said it didn’t start raining until 20 minutes before the match, but then it came down hard through the match, making for some tough conditions.
It was the Broncos’ first section title since the 2020-2021 season.
“Just super proud of our girls,” Pappanduros said. “They played hard and the elements were very difficult.”
This story was originally published February 24, 2023 at 9:49 PM.
