From the sports archives: Mills girls' soccer team sweat out win over rival Capuchino

Last year, Capuchino scored early on a penalty kick that propelled the Mustangs to a 3-1 win over the Vikings. A year later, Capuchino was 12 yards away from pulling out a tie with Mills.

Navarro, however, punched her shot well over the Mills goal, preserving the Vikings' 1-0 win.

"These are the type of matches you play soccer for," Tiziani said. "I'm just really happy for the girls."

On top of the rivalry angle was the fact the two teams are 1-2 in the Peninsula Athletic League Ocean Division standings. While Mills remains the only team in the division without a loss, Capuchino, with its first league loss, maintained its hold on the top spot by one point over the Vikings.

Not that was any consolation to Capuchino coach Rich Medina, who was frustrated by the final outcome. Despite pressuring the Mills defense the entire second half, the Mustangs could not find the equalizer.

"A game like this ... [the winner will be the team that] wants it more," Medina said. "It was extremely physical, extremely emotional game."

In the end, it was Mills' defense that wanted the shutout more than Capuchino wanted a goal. While the quartet of defenders -- outside fullbacks Rachel Ling and Alexandria Wheeler, along with stopper Heidi Jansen and sweeper Lauren Paplos -- might not look pretty doing so, they got the job done, clearing the ball out of danger or blocking shots.

"One thing about my defense, they're collected and calm," Tiziani said.

That was never more evident in the final 15 minutes of the game as the Mustangs sent wave after wave of attacks, led by Stephanie Vaquerano and Ashley Meseda. The Mustangs had four of their six second-half corner kicks during that time and each time the Mills defense stood tall.

"Capuchino's attackers are good," Tiziani said.

So good, in fact, Tiziani made a conscious effort to key on Vaquerano. While she had her moments, the Mills defense never allowed her the space to get clean shots away.

Maybe it was the constant pressure that wore on Vaquerano and kept her from taking the penalty kick. Medina said the key to penalty kicks is having the confidence to do so, and he was disappointed no one other than his defensive stalwart Navarro volunteered to take the spot kick.

"You have five seniors out there and none of the seniors wanted to take the kick," Medina said, adding it would be a facet of the game he begins addressing in practice.

"[Navarro] was the only one (who wanted to take it)."

As much pressure as the Mustangs put on the Mills defense in the second half, it was the Vikings who enjoyed dictating the tempo and attack in the first half.

Given the rivalry nature of the game, Medina believed Mills wanted it more in the first half.

"In the first half, they played with a little more intensity. It switched the other way in the second half," Medina said. "My girls just don't get up as high for them as they do for us."

That can be attributed to Tiziani, who said she made it a point her team knew exactly who it was playing.

"I pump them up," Tiziani said. "Every high school has a rival and it's exciting to play a rival."

Perhaps it was that little extra bounce in the Vikings' step that contributed to their first goal -- that, and a whole lot of Jazmin Cazares magic. Mills earned a throw in about 35 yards from the Capuchino goal. Ciara Donlon threw the ball into space and Cazares ran onto the ball near the top of the Capuchino penalty box. With a defender on her back, Cazares trapped the ball, turned, and had a half step of space. She poked a shot on goal with the outside of her right foot and bent the ball just inside the far left post for the game's only goal in the 16th minute.

Mills had a number of other quality scoring chances, but could not convert them.

Capuchino's best first-half scoring chance came in the 25th minute when Allyn Benintendi, who was unmarked in the middle of the Mills penalty box, received a pass and had a clear shot at goal. She took too long to get a shot off, however, and by the time she kicked the ball, the Mills defense closed the distance and blocked it.