The effort was there, the execution was a bit off and Desert Vista girls soccer coach Marin Hypolite was at a loss for words afterward, but in reality it doesn’t matter in the one-and-done playoff format.
The second-seeded Thunder defeated No. 7 Kofa 1-0 on Saturday afternoon in a physical, interestingly-handled match in the Division I state quarterfinals.
“Speechless,” Hypolite said. “But at the end of the day it was a win.”
Desert Vista (23-2) advances to Wednesday’s semifinals where it will face No. 3 Highland at 5 p.m. at Campo Verde.
A win would put the Thunder in the finals, which are held at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday at Campo Verde.
Desert Vista’s lone goal came at about the 20-minute mark of the first half on freshman Tatum Heeres’ 14th goal of the season.
“She’s been very good for us and she’s just a freshman,” Hypolite said. “I hadn’t really seen her before but she has done some good things.”
Kofa played a physical style of defense and the referees let most of the action happen without penalty. Kofa had a few opportunities in the finals minutes in an attempt to tie, but never penetrated the Thunder defense.
“We weren’t used to playing during the day and it might have drained us,” senior midfielder Kelly Watson. “We have to come out harder because we can’t play like this against the better teams.”
Contact writer: (480) 898-7915 or jskoda@ahwatukee.com. Follow him Twitter @JSkodaAFN
