La Mirada girls soccer trying to repeat as CIF champions

LA MIRADA >> The last CIF Southe Section soccer championship on Friday at Warren High is La Mirada girls soccer’s chance to make history.

The No. 1-seeded Matadores are defending their Division 4 title against Moorpark at 7:30 p.m., a rematch of last season’s final. Watch the video highlight and read more about that game.

A win would give La Mirada (18-5-4) back-to-back CIF titles for the first time in program history. It would also be the third CIF championship in the last eight years for the Matadores.

“I’ve told this team to strive to create their own personality,” La Mirada sixth-year head coach David Christensen said. “I didn’t show (this team) the video from last year’s final. We talk about it, but this is a different team, a different season and a different opportunity.”

La Mirada used its superior pace in the 2015 championship and blanked Moorpark, 3-0, in dominant fashion.

“I think we caught (Moorpark) off guard last year,” Christensen added. “And they were reeling the whole time. I’m sure they’ll be ready this year.”

Moorpark (19-2-4) took the Coastal Canyon League title and beat Suburban League ruer up Mayfair in the semifinals, 2-0. Junior Jordyn Geller leads the Musketeers with 18 goals and seven assists this season. Senior Sammi Walker has 14 goals. Moorpark has only allowed 20 goals this season as junior goalkeeper Courtney Worstell has posted 12 clean sheets, and a 0.6 goals-against average.

La Mirada lost in the semifinals four years ago before being upset as the top seed two years ago. The Matadores retued six starters from the 2015 championship squad, but they also have 15 new players on the roster.

In an effort to take the target off of their backs, Christensen put together a tough nonleague schedule.

“The kids really stepped up and responded,” Christensen said. “We got some redemption last year. This year is about showing what we’re really capable of.”

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