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Falcons eliminate Bulldog girls from soccer playoffs

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Three second-half goals gave Scripps Ranch High School a victory over Ramona High School’s girls soccer team in the first round of the CIF Division II playoffs Feb. 23, eliminating the Bulldogs from further post-season competition.

“It was a good game nonetheless,” said Ramona coach Tom Charbonneau.

“It was a good match, a really evenly-played first half,” Charbonneau said. “Just didn’t hold it for the full 80 minutes.”

The Bulldogs’ 11th seed in the Division II playoffs gave them an opening match at sixth-seeded Scripps Ranch. Two of Ramona’s starters missed the playoff match due to family travel plans, including goalkeeper Maria Solis. Charbonneau called up freshman goalkeeper Trish Krussow for the playoff game.

“She did an outstanding job,” Charbonneau said of Krussow.

Krussow had seven saves in the first half while holding the Falcons scoreless, and although she was scored upon three times in the second half she still made an additional five saves in the final 40 minutes.

The game was scoreless at halftime.

“Felt pretty good about that,” Charbonneau said.

The Falcons scored the game’s first goal about ten minutes into the second half and took a 2-0 lead midway in the half. Late in the half an own goal gave the Falcons their third score.

“In the second half they pulled away,” Charbonneau said. “Not the way we had hoped for it to end up.”

Ramona reached the playoffs for the first time since the 2005-06 season.

“It was a good step forward,” Charbonneau said. “It was a good first year for me there.”

Charbonneau had been Ramona’s boys junior varsity coach before replacing George Garcia and taking the Bulldog girls varsity for the 2009-10 season. Ramona closed out the season with a 3-9-7 overall record, including one loss which was a tie on the field but became a forfeit after the discovery of an ineligible player.

Ramona’s 1-6-5 record in Valley League play gave the Bulldogs fifth place among the league’s seven teams.

Ramona’s team included six seniors.

“We have a lot of returning starters for next year,” Charbonneau said.

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