Buccaneers shock Spartans in semifinals

This was supposed to be a storybook ending for the Strathmore girls’ soccer team.

Just five teams were in the Division VI bracket and the 23-3 Spartans had home-field advantage.

But the ride came to a screeching halt in the semifinals, Tuesday night.

Avenal attempted just four shots, but got two of them to go and went held the Spartans scoreless in the 2-0 stunner.

“They were devastated,” Strathmore coach Hector Gonzalez said of his team. “It’s so frustrating to control the entire game — they rarely got halfway across the field — and lose at home.”

Strathmore, by contrast, took close to 30 shots throughout the nightmarish conest, but got none of them into the net.

The Buccaneers only took one shot in the first half, but got it by Spartans goalie Veronica Magana, in the seventh minute of play.

Avenal connected on one of its three second-half shots and sealed the improbable victory. The Bucs advance to the Division VI finals.