Simi Valley Girls Thrown for a Loss

Simi Valley High must have forgotten what it was like to lose before the Southern Section Division I girls’ soccer semifinals Tuesday. By the time the game was over, the Pioneers remembered all too well.

Unseeded Simi Valley was dominated throughout a 1-0 loss to third-seeded Mission Viejo at Simi Valley, the Pioneers’ first loss in eight weeks.

“We lost to a better team,” Simi Valley Coach Mark Johnson said. “They did to us what we did [in a quarterfinal victory against] Peninsula. They took us apart little by little.”

Simi Valley (25-6-1) won the Marmonte League and upset second-seeded Peninsula last week. But the Pioneers couldn’t keep up with the Diablos (23-4), who held a 14-6 advantage in shots and controlled the midfield.

“They’re the fastest team we’ve played all year,” Johnson said. “They have speed on the flanks, speed up the middle and they know how to use it.”

Mission Viejo, second in the South Coast League to top-seeded Capistrano Valley, missed several early chances.

The Diablos’ persistence paid off in the 29th minute when Kendal Billingsly chipped a rebound over goalkeeper Sarah Swancutt for her eighth goal.

Swancutt made six saves, two on breakaways, and robbed Jen Meschler of a goal early in the second half on a header from five yards.