Santa Clarita Blue Heat’s Deyna Castellanos dashed to the sideline in front of her team’s bench, jumped up and down a few times, did a quick shimmy, then dashed back to the field.
It was her second goal in the Blue Heat’s 2-1 win over SoCal Crush FC at The Master’s University on Friday evening in a United Women’s Soccer West Conference game.
“Keep the ball,” said Castellanos off the attack’s approach. “Just keep the ball … we just want to play and have fun but take it seriously because it’s a good team, they need respect.”
Her first goal came in the 19th minute of the first half off a pass from Natalia Kuikka from midfield. Castellanos popped the ball over the keeper and scored.
In the 71st minute, Castellanos, who plays on the Venezuela national team, struck again, this time from nearly midfield.
“I just saw the keeper, that she was out, and I said, why not?” Castellanos said.
It was Castellanos’ fifth goal of the season for Santa Clarita (7-0), making her the team’s leading scorer.
“She’s so good to be able to strike the ball form that distance like she did … she has a really good technical quality,” said Blue Heat coach Guilherme Mitrovitch.
“When she produces, we look good,” he said. “So we looked good today and she looked really good.”
While Santa Clarita controlled the attacking zone for the majority of the second half, the Crush (6-1) was able to sneak in one goal in the 75th minute.
However, it was only the second goal the Blue Heat conceded in seven games this season.
“(I have) a lot of faith (in the defense),” Castellanos said. “They’re awesome. All the players that are here, they are really good, are professionals or they’re still in high school or in college, but all of them are amazing players.”
The Blue Heat took the West title last weekend and secured a spot in the UWS Final Four, which will be held in Grandville, Michigan on July 21-22.
But before that, Santa Clarita will travel to Houston with the hope of protecting its undefeated record.
“Whether they played with their college or the national teams, they have a lot of experience. I don’t think we’re going to feel the moment,” Mitrovitch said. “We won’t let the butterflies get to us.”
