The Granite Hills girls soccer team is headed back to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2019 after a dramatic 2-1 overtime victory Saturday afternoon in the second round of the CIF-Southern Section Division 4 playoffs.
Lianna Tsabur, who delivered both goals, including the golden winner in overtime, to lift the Cougars past Temescal Canyon in a tense, back-and-forth match.
“The adrenaline is rushing, for sure but I felt OK. I was pretty confident,” Tsabur said. “This feels really good. I am happy that everyone else can experience this with me. I’ve been playing with a lot of these girls for a long time. Since we were little. So it’s really fun to experience something like this with them.”
The Cougars trailed early but responded before halftime as Tsabur capitalized on a scoring opportunity for the equalizer tying the score at 1-1.
Both teams saw quality chances throughout regulation, particularly in the closing minutes. Granite Hills’ defense held firm under pressure with key saves from Naima Omer as the Cougars’ attack continued to test Temescal Canyon’s back line. Omer ended with four saves.
Despite the late opportunities, neither team was able to break through, sending the match into overtime. Under the CIF-SS format, the game moved into golden goal overtime, where the first score would decide the outcome.
The Cougars received the penalty kick after a corner kick led to action in the goal box. Josie Smith went for the ball, a defender collided with her, both went down and the referee blew the whistle.
“I just saw Josie splatter with two girls on top of her,” Granite Hills head coach Oleg Tsabur said. “I know for them it’s an unfortunate way to go but that’s the game of soccer.”
The Cougars (19-4-1) will be back home for the quarterfinals against Arcadia, which beat Shadow Hills in a penalty kicks shootout.
The girls basketball and soccer quarterfinals are set for Wednesday, Feb. 18. Here’s a look at the rest of the postseason action across the High Desert.
Girls Basketball Scores
University Prep 45, Norwalk 39
At Victorville, the Jaguars are the only High Desert basketball team to punch a ticket to the Division 8 quarterfinals.
The Jaguars capitalized on a 24-point third quarter and held on for the victory.
Aubrey Dimapasok and Daisy Manriquez each scored 12 points, Peace Adewumi followed right behind with 10 points and Camila Zapeta added nine points.
University Prep (13-12) will host Yucca Valley, reaching the quarterfinals for the second year in a row.
Girls Soccer Scores
Adelanto 2, Beverly Hills 1
At Adelanto, the Saints are heading to the quarterfinals for the third year in a row after knocking off the No. 1 seed in the Division 6 bracket.
Beverly Hills took a 1-0 lead midway through the first half. But the Saints struck for a pair of goals in the final minutes of the game.
Allyson Aguilar scored the equalizer, and four minutes later Samantha Aguilar gave the Saints the lead.
Adelanto (14-6-2) will head to Huntington Beach for the quarterfinals against Ocean View, which beat Desert Hot Springs 3-2 in overtime.
Sultana 2, Lakewood 1
At Lakewood, the Sultans are heading to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2010 after pulling off a victory in overtime.
Renee Abbott scored the game-winning goal, heading in a corner kick. Cissy Men scored in the first half, giving Sultana a 1-0 lead.
Sultana (17-10-2) will be home for the Division 5 quarterfinals against Kennedy, which beat Santa Paula 1-0.
“It feels great to go to the quarterfinals and have a home game,” said head coach Efren Garcia. “The girls are enjoying the moment. They’re excited. They’ve been working hard all season. These girls deserve this.”
Other girls soccer scores from across the High Desert
Other girls basketball scores from across the High Desert
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: These 4 girls soccer and basketball teams punch CIF-SS quarterfinals tickets
Reporting by Jose Quintero, Victorville Daily Press / Victorville Daily Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
