Green Valley finisher does job

Green Valley girls soccer coach Roy Snyder said Cayla Imahara always seems to come through when the Gators need a goal.

So Snyder wasn't surprised Thursday when the senior midfielder helped send Green Valley to another Sunrise Region final.

Imahara scored from the top of the 18-yard box off an assist by Jordyn Penniman in the 14th minute, and Green Valley held on for a 1-0 victory over Silverado in a region semifinal at Heritage Park.

"When the ball is sent across, and (Imahara) finishes them, she is outstanding in that respect," Snyder said. "When she gets the opportunity for a goal, she usually finishes it.

"She had a couple other chances that normally she finishes. She was a little bit sick today and was kind of out of it, but she still had some great shots. She's huge for us."

The Gators (16-0-1) face rival Coronado in the region final at 4 p.m. Saturday.

Green Valley dominated possession, but needed Imahara's goal to make up for several missed scoring opportunities against the Skyhawks (9-6-1).

"I saw (Penniman) go up the line, and I knew I was open," Imahara said. "I took the chance, and all I could think about was getting the ball in the back of the net. ... It was really important for us to get that goal in the first half."

Snyder credited defender Nicole Westover, a senior committed to UNLV, with leading the Gators.

"It's great to advance. Our defensive effort again was outstanding," Snyder said. "Nicole Westover is, for my money, the best player we have and the best defensive player we have in this town."

Senior goalkeeper Nicole Dunn helped Imahara's goal stand up with a four-save shutout.

■ Coronado 4, Foothill 0 - Britni Ballweg scored twice in the first half, and Breanna McCallum and Chynna Zurflueh added goals as the Cougars (10-6-2) eliminated the Falcons (8-6-2).

"Senior year, it's awesome," Ballweg said. "I'm so excited, I'm speechless."

Ballweg scored on a free kick in the sixth minute, then on a header off a corner kick by Zurflueh in the 26th minute.

Coronado goalkeeper Melanie Frank posted a six-save shutout.

SUNSET REGION

■ Arbor View 3, Bishop Gorman 2 - Breanna Larkin scored twice, and the Aggies (12-4) outlasted the Gaels (9-4) in the Sunset Region semifinals.

Jamie Wilson's goal in the 67th minute accounted for the winning margin for Arbor View, which faces Centennial in the final at 4 p.m. Saturday.

"It feels great," Larkin said. "We just kept fighting. We didn't give up. That's all that matters. And we put them away."

Larkin's goals gave the Aggies a 2-0 lead, and freshman Bailee Davis ignited the attack. In the 26th minute, Davis sent a long pass to the right side of the box. Larkin, in a full squat, headed the ball past Gaels goalkeeper Jessica Anaya.

"Bailee took a touch and looked up," Aggies coach Jay Howard said. "When she does that, she's pretty deadly. She played a beautiful ball right in the middle, and the nice thing is Bree came across the goalie's face and headed it in."

Eight minutes later, Davis' free kick from just outside the box was blocked by Anaya, but Larkin collected the rebound and kicked it into the back of the net.

"Bailee has that big foot, and we put her on the right, and Bree plays a lot of right because she is just fearless with her body," Howard said. "We've scored a lot of goals that way with those two this year."

Yolanda Loya scored for Bishop Gorman in the 47th minute, and Katie Turner scored in the 77th.

■ Centennial 4, Palo Verde 0 - Shannelle McDonnell scored twice in the first half despite a left ankle injury, and the top-seeded Bulldogs (15-2) eliminated the Panthers (11-5-1) for the second consecutive year.

"(My ankle) is throbbing, but we played our hearts out and gave it our all," McDonnell said.

McDonnell scored twice during an eight-minute span. Paris Gonzales supplied a goal and two assists, and freshman Cienna Mendez also scored.

Charlotte Madrid and Karlee Edwards combined for the shutout as Centennial's winning streak climbed to 12 matches.

DIVISION I-A SOUTHERN REGION

■ Faith Lutheran 2, Tech 0 - Kristi Chun scored in the first half, and the Crusaders (15-6-2) beat the Roadrunners (12-3-1) in a Division I-A Southern Region semifinal.

Kendall Pori scored in the second half for Faith Lutheran, which faces Pahrump Valley in the final at 4 p.m. Saturday.

■ Pahrump Valley 4, Clark 0 - Lexi Smith and Kristen Young scored first-half goals, and Sydney Sladek added two in the second half as the Trojans (19-1) eliminated the Chargers (9-10).