Hart goalkeeper Sierra Cordola said she just barely saw the shot as it was heading toward her net in the final seconds of Friday’s playoff game.
But the senior netminder was able to push the ball away from danger, and her Hawks teammates did the rest to preserve a shutout and advance to the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs over the Moorpark Musketeers.
“I honestly feel like I blacked out. It was just straight reflexes,” Cordola said. “But my team, they’re just so amazing, because even though I was there, they were all behind me in the goal. And if I wasn’t there, one of them would have been.”
Senior Kylie O’Donnell scored the lone goal midway through the second half. A defensive midfielder, O’Donnell found herself in the box at the right time, flicking a shot just over the Moorpark keeper.
“I saw my teammate crossing the ball, and I saw their center back go to header it, and I knew it was gonna end up at the top of the box,” O’Donnell said. “So, I kind of took that and I ran, I got a touch, and then I kind of just flicked it, like a little chip into the back post, right over the keeper.”
After the Hawks took the lead, they made sure to defend deep and keep the Musketeers from getting any clear-cut chances.
That worked until the very end, when Moorpark crossed a ball in and a couple of deflections left it for the taking. Cordola, who wasn’t called into action too many times throughout Friday’s contest, made sure she left her mark on the game.
There was still some time left for Moorpark, but Hart put bodies in front of the net and cleared the ball, and the final whistle turned into cheers from the Hart sideline.
“It was just pure determination and playing for all the players next to us,” O’Donnell said.
Hart is set to travel to Orange Lutheran on Tuesday.
The Hawks return to the quarterfinals of the playoffs for the first time since 2023, when they captured section and SoCal Regional titles.
Hart was bounced from the second round last year.
O’Donnell said this year’s team seems to be gathering momentum similarly to how the 2023 team did.
“We’re feeling the momentum, we’re keeping the ball rolling, keeping it going, but we’re also taking it one game at a time, having a humble hunger,” she said.
Hart head coach Brett Croft saw his team having to suffer at times against a seemingly bigger Moorpark team. But when push came to shove, the Hawks found a way to come out on top.
“They definitely care for the person next to them, and it makes them work super hard,” Croft said of his players. “They want to win so bad. They don’t care how it’s done. So, they’ll defend aggressively, and they know they got the best keeper in the league behind them.”
Friday marked the second playoff game in a row for the Hawks at home. Hart beat Arlington in the first round at home on Wednesday, 3-1.
“All of our fans, all our supporters come and watch us, and you just feel the love. You feel the energy and it really helps us bring the effort and bring the energy,” O’Donnell said.
The winner of Tuesday’s game between Orange Lutheran and Hart would play in the semifinals on Saturday, Feb. 22. The championship game is set to be played on Friday, Feb. 28.
In the other girls’ soccer playoff game on Friday featuring a Santa Clarita Valley team, the Castaic Coyotes went to a penalty shootout for a second game in a row, taking down Glendora at home.
Leila Sadra, Kennedy Crone and Clair Silvestro scored in regulation as the two teams battled to a 3-3 draw before Castaic won in a shootout, 6-5.
Castaic advances to the quarterfinals in Division 2 at Mira Costa on Tuesday.
