OC Come From Behind to Qualify for Another Championship Game

Tue, Feb 27th - The Lions traveled to West L.A. College to play host Notre Dame Academy for the CIF SS D5 Semifinal. NDA scored early to take a one goal advantage. But it was clear that NDA's advantage was not going to hold up long. OC was getting the looks and the goals were going to come. Typical for OC especially in this last season surge the Lions dominated the second half and did not let NDA have any chances. Kelly Johnson took a pass from Kristen Clark and buried it in the back if the net for the equalizer. In the closing minutes Kelsea Smith followed being fouled with a direct kick goal game winner to seal NDA's fate. NDA foght to the end giving one last surge and a great upper coner shot, but Noelle Salter slapped it over the cross bar with her finger tips. That was it, OC will play in the CIF SS D5 Finals for the fourth time in five seasons. Go Lions!!!

Lions Win, Qualify for their Fifth Straight Semifinals

Thu, Feb 22nd - With the Lions peaking at the right time not even the rain could dampen the their performance. It took only seven minutes to show the Pioneer League Rep from El Segundo why OC has won three CIF titles in the last four years and has played in six consecutive quarterfinals. Two more goals in the 26th and 28th minutes sealed the fifth consecutive semifinal for OC.

Kelsea Smith got thing rolling scoring the first goal with an assist from Kelly Johnson. Kristen Clark headed in the second goal off an assist from Kelly Johnson's corner kick. Then Kelly got involved with the goal scoring collecting a pass from Caroline Cislo to score OC's third goal.

OC Wins, Reaches Sixth Consecutive Quarterfinal

Tue, Feb 20th -OC hosted its first playoff game of the season and a first ever match up between Bell Garden in the Second Round of the CIF SS D5 Championship. The Lions made short work of BG with four first half goals. In the second half they added three more to equal the second highest number of goals scored by OC in a playoff game, but the most ever produced in a second round game.

Kelsea Smith was the player of the game without a doubt. Kelsea opened the scoring in the 9th minute with an assist from Kelly Johnson, then assisted Caroline Cislo five minutes later for the second goal in the 14th minute. In the 18th minute Johnson passed to Smith who assisted Cislo again. Smith tallied another goal with an assist from Hannah MacKechnie in the 39th minute. After the break and a Bell Garden's goal Lauren Lundstrom scored a goal (her third score in four games) with an assist from Smith in the 64th minute. Then Kristen Clark scored on an assist from Smith's corner kick in the 78th minute. The final goal came from Sam Nordlund with an assist from Casey DaSilva.

Kelsea set a number of OC playoff records in the effort:

Most Points in a Playoff Game - 6 (2 goals, 4 assists)
[Old Record Caitlyn Mackecnie - 5 (4 g, 1 a)]

Most Assists in a Playoff Game - 4
[Alysha Hoven -3]

Most Assists in a Playoff Season - 11 (with more to play)
[Alysha Hoven - 11]

OC has been eligible for playoffs six times since the school began a girls soccer program and have played in the Quarterfinals all six times. No other CIF SS D5 school has equaled this achievement in that stretch.

OC's All Time record in the playoff is 21-2-3 (w-l-t).

Lions Topple #4 Seed, Remain Perfect in FIrst Round

Fri, Feb 16th - The Lions were on the road again, 405 South, this time to Brentwood HS. A first ever match up between these schools, the Eagles of Brentwood were not pleased to face in the first round the winner of three of the last four CIF Titles. Of the five years OC has been playoff eligible the champion has either been OC (3) or beat OC (2). Brentwood was well aware!

Brentwood took a lead of 1-0 into halftime. OC equalized with a goal off of Kristen Clark's head. Megan Schoppe's direct kick found Kelly Johnson's head for the go ahead goal. But, the Eagles would not go away scoring with fifteen seconds remaining in regulation. The first two overtimes left the score 2-2, but momentum was clearly in the Lions favor at the Lions were still running strong. In the first Sudden Death period Kelsea Smith took a driect kick from the corner and delivered it to Kristen Clark for another goal off the head. The seocnd "Golden Goal" in OC's History. The first came last year when a golden gold beat Oak Park. Two Sudden Death, golden goal, victories in the first round two years in a row. The Lions like to keep COach Hethcock on his toes.

OC's All Time playoff record is now 20-2-3 (w-l-t).

One Goal Enough to Win Wildcard

Wed, Feb 14th - The Lions traveled to Santa Monica to play a Wildcard Game versus Crossroads HS; this was the second match up between the two schools. The first match up came in the 2002 during OC's 22 game winning streak. This was the second time OC had to play a Wildcard Game with the first also came in 2002.

Zero-Zero at the half, a common theme for OC this season, the Lions took the lead in the second half with a goal from Lauren Lindstrom. This proved to be enough for the Lions to advance to the first round game match up with Brentwood. This was the second consecutive time that Lauren scored the game winner in a 1-0 game.

OC's All Time playoff record is now 19-2-3 (w-l-t).

Lions Get Revenge, Beat Seraphs

Wed, Feb 7th - The Lions finish the regular season and head into the playoffs with its best play of the season. Peaking. Winners of the last three games and five of the last seven.
Once again another scoreless first half, the Seraphs never mounted any serious threats and only managed four shot, one "on" goal. Meanwhile the Lions out hustled, out fought their opponent on every front. The Seraphs managed one mild chance that was quickly covering just a few minutes into the second half and that was it for the girls from St Bonaventure. The Lions continued the pressure and were rewarded in the 53rd minute. Kelly Johnson served up a corner kick which was headed from Melissa Dahl to Lauren Lindstrom who scored her second career goal and the game winner. Lauren's goal was also an important. It was the 600th goal in OC's history.

The OC win was costly for StB since it knocked them out of first place for good, Oak Park wins the Tri-Valley League title out right and StB placed second. The Lions all time record versus StB is now 4-2-0 (w-l-t).

Lions Come to Play, Beat Regents

Fri, Feb 2nd - For the second time in a week the the Lions of Oaks Christian played Regents of La Reina this time at Wildflower Park (LR's home site). The Lions set the tempo right from the start clearly dominating play throughout. The lions had a season high total number of fouls and a couple of yellow cards which is a result of the high level of intensity of which they played. Scoreless through the first half the girls, led by the seniors, huddled together for some motivational encouraging of each other. It must have done the trick because the Lions took the lead early into second half when Melissa Dahl scored her first goal of the season heading in a beautiful assist from Hannah MacKechnie's free kick. La Reina responded the next few minutes with a desperate intensity, but OC equalized the effort with some great play by Noelle Salter in goal. Then they reestablished their dominating paly and added a security second goal when Casey DaSilva assisted Kelly Johnson who took advantage of a clear look at the goal firing 30 yards out and beating the keeper to near post. Noelle had to faced a last minute surge by the Regents. Noelle made several combination saves including one series just before the final whistle.

Two more games remain to the regular season, at Santa Paula on Monday and hosting St Bonaventure on Wednesday. OC needs one win to clinch although could qualify with less. Monday they will play to clinch a playoff berth and Wednesday they will play for revenging their previous loss to StB. Stat to note...OC has a won seven straight rematches versus D5 opponents that had beat the Lions in the previous match.
Watch out Seraphs, here come the Lions!