Scripps Ranch High School and Torrey Pines squared off in the championship match of the 47th annual Laurie Berger Invitational, and it was deja vu.
Saturday marked the teams’ third matchup in a week. Scripps Ranch defeated Torrey Pines in pool play seven days earlier. The girls field hockey rivalry resumed midweek on Del Mar Heights Road, with Torrey Pines winning in a penalty shootout.
Saturday’s match belonged to Scripps Ranch. Vician Preclaro scored just before halftime and goalkeeper Abby Martin had eight crucial saves to keep Torrey Pines off the board and give Scripps Ranch a 3-0 win at Canyon Hills High School.
“When we score early, it opens the floodgates,” Scripps Ranch coach Elizabeth Jacobs said. “We get our confidence going, and that’s when those other goals come.”
Preclaro’s goal late in the first half gave Scripps a 1-0 lead. Senior CJ Ippolito scored on a fast break 17 minutes into the second half on a pass from junior Natalia da Silva. Ippolito’s sister, Sammi, a sophomore, sealed the game with a goal of her own six minutes later.
The Scripps Ranch defense was strong all tournament long, allowing just one goal in six matches. Second-seeded Scripps Ranch defeated No. 7 Huntington Beach Edison and No. 6 La Verne Bonita by 3-0 score on Saturday to reach the finals. Fourth-seeded Torrey Pines defeated No. 5 San Marcos 2-0 and No. 8 Canyon Crest 1-0 to advance to the final.
Senior midfielder Ava Schramm kept Torrey Pines in the middle of the field on Saturday; she was named tournament MVP.
“It was really hard,” Schramm said of the tournament. “I think we knew what we went for, but that didn’t stop us, and we were all super confident. We knew we were going to score — and we were going to win.”
Torrey Pines senior Sydney Meltzer was named the tournament’s best offensive player, while Canyon Crest senior Zhen-Ying Huynh earned defensive honors. San Marcos’ Sarge Nelson was named top goalie. All were named to the all-tournament team.
Schramm was one of five Scripps players to make the all-tournament team, joining the Ippolito sisters, Preclaro and Emi Okuma. Torrey Pines’ Morgan Christie, Ava Hauer and Sophie Herman were honored alongside Meltzer. Others on the team included Canyon Crest’s Ashley Forge, Hailey Church, Sabine Chung; Canyon Hills’ Eva Allen, Sami Lee, Teah Savignano and Miranda Pena; La Jolla Country Day’s Elicia Bikhazi-Green; La Verne Bonta’s Sophia Eifert; and Huntington Beach Edison’s Sophia LaCapria.
Those weren’t the only honors being doled out Saturday. Canyon Hills announced it retired Megan Rodgers Valzonis’ No. 26 jersey. Valzonis competed for Team USA in this summer’s Olympics.
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