No. 1-seeded Kerman girls breeze to 6-0 win in Division IV playoff opener

Starting Kerman High goalkeeper Yazmine Gastelúm had to substitute out in the opening half as she battled problems with a contact lens.

Leading scorer Isabella Cruz – who has scored 40 goals this season, and 116 in her Kerman High career – was held scoreless.

And the Division IV top-seeded girls soccer team was shut out in the opening half at home by 16th-seed Reedley as the CIF Central Section girls soccer playoffs kicked off.

So, was fifth-year Kerman coach Rubén Cardona worried.

Not really.

“I was not really concerned, just a little stressed out on how we played in the first half because I knew we could have played better,” said Cardona.

Playing into the wind in the first half also impacted his team’s offense, said Cardona.

An own goal when a Reedley High player accidentally headed the ball into the net defending a direct kick by Cruz in the 48th minute of play unleashed the Kerman offense in the second half.

The result: Kerman won 6-0 to improve its overall record to 25-3 and into a second-round match against Central Valley Christian (10-9-1) on Thursday.

Cruz did not have to score because she played havoc with the Reedley defense while serving up four assists. (Cardona gave Cruz the goal on the own goal).

“I enjoy when anyone scores,” said Cruz. “A goal is a goal, whether I score or when my teammates score. I love giving assists.”

Cruz has 31 assists this year.

The main benefactor of Cruz’s passes was junior Malyah Rodríguez, who notched three goals to pace the Lions. She has scored 14 times this season.

“She was just hungry to score goals tonight,” said Cardona of Rodríguez. “She played excellent. She was involved on the defensive side.

“She’s not really a goal scorer in a sense because she’s always playing the No. 6 position and playing defense. Today, I put her in the No. 8 position and she got more involved. I was happy with that.”

Cruz called Rodríguez “a great player.”

“We know she can score,” said Cruz.

Kerman has reached the section finals the last two campaigns, but has yet to capture the championship. This year’s squad went undefeated in North Sequoia League (10-0).

Cardona said this year’s team is not feeling the pressure of being the top seed and the final-round losses.

“My expectation this year is for them just to play their hearts out and give me 100% effort,” said Cardona, who is 79-22-5 in the last four seasons after starting out 9-15-4 in his first year. “Of course, winning the section championship is still the goal, but we’re not putting that unfair pressure on them.”

Cruz – who said the team is “going for the ring” – is happy with being seeded first because “we’re playing at home in front of our fans and the odds are in our favor.”

The other Kerman goals were scored by Isabella O’Neal and Ofelia Mancilla.

Backup Kerman goalie Milani Gutiérrez made several saves until Gastelúm was able to return.

Reedley ends its season with a 7-16-4 mark.