WESTLAKE VILLAGE — Mayfield Senior soccer Coach Chris Howe didn’t want his team to be intimidated when it faced second-seeded Oaks Christian in a CIF Southern Section Division III second-round road match Tuesday afternoon.
Howe and the Cubs were well aware of Oaks Christian’s championship pedigree, which included winning CIF Southern Section Division IV and Division III Southern California Regional titles last season.
Mayfield hung in within Oaks Christian early before the Lions’ talent level and experience proved to be prevailing factors in recording a 7-1 victory.
“I don’t think we were necessarily intimidated,” said Howe, whose team finished 9-6-3 after taking third in the Prep League. “We don’t worry about who we are playing. We worry about ourselves and show what we can do instead.
“We thought we did a good job staying close to them, but they just have a strong team.”
Oaks Christian (18-3-1) received two goals apiece from Megan Demijohn and Alexandra Bruder. The Lions also got one goal each from Mallory Kahrilas, Rachel Conners and Kat Smith.
Bruder gave Oaks Christian a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute. The Lions, who have won seven CIF championships since the start of the 2002-03 season, then received two goals from Demijohn and one apiece from Conners and Bruder in a 13-minute span late in the first half to extend their lead to 5-0.
Bruder and Smith each scored a goal 13 minutes apart midway through the second half to make it 7-0.
Mayfield, which began the playoffs with a 2-1 victory against Victor Valley, scored its goal in the 73rd minute. Freshman Claire Courtney deflected in a corner kick by Betsy Sanders.
“We just had a tough first half, but that’s soccer,” Courtney said. “We weren’t intimidated by them, and we continued to put up a fight.”
