Manuel Pires was glad to have a comfortable win, for a change.
His first-place Sierra girls soccer team coasted past a depleted East Union lineup 4-0 Friday at Dino Cunial Field, with Leslie Reyes playing a part in every goal scored.
The visiting Timberwolves (9-1, 18-3-2 overall) needed late goals to win their previous two contests and vault to the top of the Valley Oak League standings. Sierra last downed East Union (3-5-1, 9-10-2) by a 5-2 margin, but that victory was not comfortably in hand until it put away two late goals.
“We’ve been very lucky, because some of these games were tied until we were able to score toward the end,” Pires said. “I have to give it to these girls; they are very united, they’re very organized and they fight all the way from beginning to end. This year, we knew we had the pieces that we needed to compete and bring the league title back. We’re very close, but we’re not there yet.”
Sierra ends the regular season with two teams that have given the rest of the league fits starting with Patterson on the road next Wednesday. The T’wolves will have senior night Feb. 10 against Mountain House.
While Sierra looks to secure its first outright league title since 2019 — its 2021 crown was shared with Manteca — East Union is scrapping with Patterson and Mountain House for the third of three Sac-Joaquin Section automatic playoff berths. The top three placers qualify, and at-large bids are available for teams that earn top-15 rankings in their respective divisions. The Lancers were No. 14 in Division III coming into the game Friday.
East Union faces Central Catholic at home next Monday and travels across town to Manteca on Wednesday but caps the regular season Feb. 10 against second-place Oakdale.
Coach Jason Silva hopes to have some of his players back for the final stretch. He is down six of his original starting players, two of whom are out with season-ending injuries, and another to ineligibility. The Lancers had just one available substitute on Friday.
“We had 12 girls, but you still play 11v11,” Silva said. “Sierra is the top team in the league for a reason, so we knew it was going to be a battle. We came in with a little bit of a different game plan, and the girls hung in there, Sierra just has a lot of firepower.
“Despite the loss, the girls have their heads up and we’re moving past this. We have CC coming on Monday, and now that’s an even bigger game for us.”
Sierra held East Union without a shot attempt until the 53rd minute. The T’wolves were up by three goals by that point.
Reyes accounted for two of those goals and assisted the rest. The junior winger got her night started with a perfect corner-kick cross headed in by towering midfielder Maitland Kohoutek in the 24th minute.
Reyes delivered another corner kick six minutes later, and this time, she was the one who scored. Her cross was deflected past the far post and recovered by an East Union player, who was dispossessed by Sierra’s Hannah Hint along the end line. Hint spotted Reyes wide open on the opposite post to set up the easy goal.
Reyes struck again early in the second half with a blast from outside the penalty box. Haley Gama provided the assist.
Sierra capped the final score in the 59th minute, as Reyes connected with Zoe Sutton.
“Right now, we’re doing good and playing with confidence,” Reyes said. “We have our ups and downs, but we don’t give up.”
East Union had scoring chances late, as Sierra’s reserves got into the action. The Lancers’ best opportunity came at the very end when Kaylee Mejia sent Carrera Mendez on a breakaway run with a quick throw-in that caught Sierra’s defense off guard. The 1v1 shot was blown wide.
Junior varsity
Sierra 3, East Union 0
Kaylee Rodriguez scored one goal and one assist, while Abigail Garcia recorded four saves in the Timberwolves’ shutout win.
Isabella Cruz and Mikayla Mercier added one goal apiece.
