Freshman Emily Allen scored two second half goals on Thursday night against Santa Barbara to earn a 2-0 victory for the San Marcos girls soccer team.
Just a few minutes into the game, an unfortunate collision left Danielle Smith, the Dons’ sophomore center back, badly injured. Play was stopped for 30 minutes and Smith, who broke both her tibia and fibula, was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital.
After a scoreless first half, Kaylin Koopmans crossed a ball into the box and Allen headed it home to give the Royals a 1-0 lead.
“It was the most beautiful ball you could ever imagine,” San Marcos coach Macie Berlin said about Koopmans pass.
The Dons still had hope, but with five minutes remaining, Allen broke loose again. The striker slipped past a Santa Barbara center back and placed the ball in the corner of the net to seal the victory.
The San Marcos defense, led by Koopmans at outside back, frustrated the Dons’ offense for the entire game.
“She really stopped their threatening attackers and had an unbelievable defensive game,” Berlin said about her fullback’s performance.
The Royals (2-3-2 Channel League) will play their last league game on Tuesday at Buena.
