Overall, it was a good showing by Grossmont Conference teams at this year’s 96-team Barons Girls Soccer Tournament. The Valhalla Norsemen captured a runner-up finish in the top-rung Open/Premier Division bracket following a 1-0 loss to the Scripps Ranch Falcons in finals played Dec. 13 at Eastlake High School.
The tournament, now in its 34th year, is the largest and longest-running high school girls’ soccer tournament in the state.
Overall, it was a good showing by Grossmont Conference teams at this year’s 96-team Barons Girls Soccer Tournament. The Valhalla Norsemen captured a runner-up finish in the top-rung Open/Premier Division bracket following a 1-0 loss to the Scripps Ranch Falcons in finals played Dec. 13 at Eastlake High School.
The tournament, now in its 34th year, is the largest and longest-running high school girls’ soccer tournament in the state.
“We pretty much had all the top teams in the country at this tournament,” tournament director Robert Blas explained. “It was very competitive, especially the Open/Premier Division.”
Scripps Ranch, last season’s San Diego Section Division I runner-up team, edged Valhalla on a first-half goal scored by Erica Episcopo.
The teams had previously played to a scoreless tie in preliminary pool play.
Scripps Ranch (4-0-2) defeated Eastlake, 3-1, in the semifinals while Valhalla (3-1-2) edged Grossmont, 2-0, to advance to the final.
Ally Buslacchi and Maddie Dow each scored goals for the Norsemen in their semifinal win over Grossmont while goalkeepers Lexie Cleveland and Katelyn DeWent shared credit for the shutout victory.
Valhalla finished pool play 2-0-1 with victories against Bonita Vista (2-1 on Dec. 8) and Rancho Buena Vista (3-2 on Dec. 10) and the tie against the Falcons.
Grossmont (1-2-2) finished pool play 1-0-2 with a 2-1 win over Granite Hills and a pair of scoreless draws against Serra and Hilltop.
