Atascadero High downs Mission Prep in soccer make-up games

Atascadero girls soccer coach Miguel Figueroa took a pretty big gamble heading into Monday night’s game against Mission Prep.

Instead of starting senior captain Skyler Flemming in goal, Figueroa decided to put junior defender Marina Garcia between the pipes. Despite the fact that Garcia had never played goalkeeper in a high school varsity game before, the gamble paid off in a big way as Atascadero shut out Mission Prep 3-0 in a make up game.

“It was kind of scary at first,” Garcia said. “But I kind of got over it. As the game went on it got better.”

Garcia didn’t have much time to be scared. Mission Prep took the opening kick-off quickly down the field in the first five seconds and Emily Riforgiate ripped a shot, but Garcia calmly made the two handed save, her first of six saves in the game.

The Royals got off six more shots in the first half, but none found pay dirt. Atascadero was held scoreless too, and it was 0-0 at the break.

Then the Greyhounds cut loose.

Three minutes into the second, Rachael Foley netted a rebound goal to make it 1-0 Atascadero. Nine minutes later a clearance from Mission Prep keeper Gabby Flores bounced off Atascadero’s Hannah Flickinger and into the net to make it 2-0.

Flickinger’s second goal two minutes later was no accident. The junior striker turned around a Royals defender in a one-on-one situation and chipped it over Flores with her left foot and off the left post to make it 3-0.

“We didn’t change anything,” Figueroa said of the difference between the first half and second half. “They just started talking and having fun. They dominated and completely shut them down.”

The defense stiffened, too. The Atascadero back line didn’t allow a shot on goal in the second half.

“I think we did really well in the first half as well. There was a lot more possession in the the second half, and we just controlled more of the midfield,” Garcia said.

Garcia, who has only played soccer for three years, had been playing center back on defense for Atascadero, a position she said has helped her to be able to direct traffic from the goal.

“When you have a strong defense, the rest takes care of itself,” Figueroa said.

Atascadero (10-3-1, 4-3 PAC 8) will be looking to take the next step against the top teams in the PAC 8 as the league season’s second half continues. The Greyhounds have done well against the middle of the pack, but have a pair of 4-0 losses to St. Joseph’s and Arroyo Grande and a 2-1 loss to San Luis Obispo on their record.

Figueroa said that Flemming, who has been nursing a knee injury, will play again eventually, but for now he is going to stick with the hot hands of Garcia when Atascadero takes on St. Joseph at home Wednesday.

BOYS SOCCER

Atascadero 3, Mission Prep 1

The Atascadero High boys soccer team gave up a quick early goal, then rallied for a 3-1 win over Mission Prep on Monday in a make-up of a rained out game.

The Greyhounds (10-7-0, 2-5-0 PAC 8) found themselves trailing 1-0 just two minutes into the game on a goal from Sam Oeser and an assist from Stephen Orradre.

But Atascadero got goals from Manny Perez, on a Scott Mello assist, and Connor Setting, on an assist from Jose Pena, to take a 2-1 lead at halftime.

Benji Garcia scored an unassisted goal in the second half to close the scoring.

Brian Vazquez put five shots on goal for the Greyhounds.

Atascadero hosts St. Joseph on Wednesday.

Tribune staff contributed to this report.

This story was originally published January 25, 2016 at 8:03 PM with the headline "Atascadero High downs Mission Prep in soccer make-up games."