CHICO — It might not have been the prettiest soccer, but Friday night’s scoreless tie at Asgard Yard between the Chico High Panthers and the Pleasant Valley Vikings gave the Eastern Athletic League champion Panthers an unbeaten league season.
The tie meant that Chico coach Tibi Marinescu’s team finished 9-0-1, not quite the undefeated, untied mark that he was hoping for his Panthers.
“I would call it a funky game,” he said. “We are undefeated still” in EAL play — 15-1-1 on the season.
PV (15-1-4, 6-1-3 EAL) placed second in league.
Neither team really could consistently take control of the game. There were just three saves combined and no dangerous opportunities created. One of the best opportunities in the second half came when Pleasant Valley’s Scarlett Christie took a shot that was just wide right.
Both teams are traditionally good with possession and moving the ball around, but Friday night’s game had a little more of a kickball element to it than one would expect from a Chico-PV matchup.
“The pendulum swung the different times of the game between maintaining position and creating chances,” Marinescu said. “The first half, I think, belonged to us. Then they turned the control back (in the second half), and they started putting some pressure; we managed to get out of it with a couple of breaks.”
He also pointed out that the two teams know each other so well that it’s tough to try something new, adding it’s fun to watch the two schools compete.
Pleasant Valley coach Brenna Valencia agreed that her team started to take more control of the game after halftime.
“I think in the second half, we definitely came together a little bit more,” she said, noting the Vikings began to create more pressure in the final third of the second half. “Aside from a couple of corners we let them have in the second half, I think we were more dominant and staying on their half of the field and getting opportunities and shots off. We just couldn’t test (Chico’s goalkeeper) as much as we wanted to and get it on frame like we wanted to.”
Postseason peek
Now the two teams look to the section playoffs starting Tuesday. The Panthers will host Las Plumas, while the Vikings will play Shasta for the third time this year and the second time within a week.
The Thunderbirds, the Butte View League champion, come into that game with a 14-5-1 record. Chico and LP haven’t met this year.
The Vikings will meet a Wolves team they beat twice this year; the first was a 4-0 victory Jan. 19 in Chico, and on Feb. 7 in Redding, PV won 1-0.
If both Chico and Pleasant Valley win, the section championship will be played Saturday at Chico High School on Feb. 17.
The Panthers might have to play without one of the Northern Section’s elite defenders in Reese Burke, who suffered a leg injury in Friday’s game. Marinescu said there are few things his team could work on between now and the playoffs.
“I would definitely say transition between giving up position and coming up into a defensive position that will allow us to proactively win the ball and link up again with the midfield and attack not just get the break by booming the ball out, ” he said — adding he’d like to see better support because he felt like his attacking players up top (Peyton Holt, Julie Carranza and Keahi Davis) were too isolated.
Chico’s loss came Dec. 15 against Rocklin, 6-1.
The Vikings and Valencia are at home, where they hold a 16-1-4 record in two seasons under her stewardship. The only loss was last year’s NorCal Regional against Maria Carrillo — a game that was lost on penalty kicks.
“Our motto is we don’t lose at home,” Valencia said.
They also don’t give up goals at home. They’ve allowed just one goal in the last 21 home games — the last being Jan. 11, 2023, against Foothill.
PV’s defense is anchored by senior goalkeeper Kennedy Arntzen and senior central backs Ali Barteau and Clara Gampel. Counting the playoffs, Friday night was the third straight game that the Panthers have failed to score at Asgard Yard.
As they head into the playoffs, Valencia’s Vikings, who have been battling illness and injuries, are still coming together. She says she’d like to see the team become more mentally tough.
“I think everyone needs to continue working on it,” she said. “If you’re mentally strong then your body will follow.”‘
Valencia said that the players have the soccer part down — they know how to do it, and they understand the fundamentals.
“You got to teach them how to be mentally strong at the end of the season when you’re tired and to push through when you’re tired,” she said.
