PREP GIRLS SOCCER: Jones sees Vista to SoCal Classic title

CARMEL VALLEY ---- Playing catcher for the Vista High softball team is helping Victoria Jones immensely during the soccer season.

"From behind the plate,' the senior All-CIF San Diego Section catcher said, "I'm the eyes of the entire field.

"It's the same way with soccer. As a forward, I see the entire field."

Jones does a lot more than see the field for her soccer teammates.

She scored two goals and assisted two others in Thursday's 5-2 victory over defending champion Oceanside in the Southern California Classic championship game at Cathedral Catholic.

Jones scored the game's first two goals ---- the first coming just 45 seconds into the game ---- and then helped the Panthers (6-1-1) pull away after Oceanside (11-4-1) tied the game 2-2 later in the first half.

"That happens now and then, even to good teams,' Jones said of Vista's brief letdown. "I felt like they'd come out after us and falling behind 2-0 wouldn't change that.

"We came through, though. We had to settle down and start playing soccer again.

"I think we got a little overconfident with a 2-0 lead. It wasn't until we got that fourth goal that I knew we finally had a handle on it.'

Julie Rourke's goal, with 11:25 to play in the game came off an assist by Margo Cox and gave the Panthers a commanding 4-2 lead. Cox's goal in the final minute of the first half broke the 2-2 tie.

Kassandra McDaniel added the final goal, a shot with her back to the Pirates' net that eluded the goalie with 8:10 to play.

"At the end, we went for the win and changed to three defenders,' Oceanside coach Bert Gutierrez said. "That was my decision to go for it right there, but we couldn't get any offense going.

"Coming back from a 2-0 deficit should tell the girls they are never out of a game from now on. Once we tied it up, we were back in it for a few minutes."

Senior captain Iesha Iwobi got Oceanside started, scoring her first goal just two minutes after Jones had given the Panthers a 2-0 lead.

Iwobi put the ball back in the net with 19:25 left in the first half, when she beat the defense and lobbed a shot over the goalie to tie the game.

While freshman goalie Priscilla Suarez recorded four saves for Vista in the first half, sophomore Alex Sendejas never had to make a save in the second half, as the Panthers swarmed the Pirates' net for the majority of the 40-minute half.

"Defensively, we haven't allowed too many goals until this game,' Vista coach Roger Leighton said. "And our defense is getting better."

Jones noticed the improvement.

"We've got it all there on offense and defense,' she said. "We have even more confidence in our abilities, and we needed a big boost right before (Palomar League) begins.

"Our league is so tough, but we're ready for league play.'

Contact staff writer Terry Monahan at 760-739-6648.