Grizzlies go down with struggle

To see Granite Hills’ girls’ soccer team after its match against in-city rivals Porterville Wednesday night, one would’ve guessed the Grizzlies had just won.

The mood was upbeat, players were hugging and taking photos of one another and parents were all smiles.

Granite had just lost a slug-it-out duel with the Panthers, 1-0, but it was the Grizzlies final game of the year, and the final game of their three seniors’ careers.

“We just wanted to play hard because it was our last game of the season and we wanted to win one for the seniors,” Granite goalie Zoe Kisling said. 

The Grizzlies went at the Panthers’ throats from the opening whistle, driving deep into their territory and attempting two errant shots.

“My girls were surprised,” Porterville coach Carlos Bravo said. “We didn’t expect it to be that intense, but we should’ve. It’s always a little more physical with in-city rivals.”

Porterville woke up, however, and spent the majority of the remainder on Granite’s side of the field, testing Kisling to her limits.

The junior goalkeeper had at least two dozen saves throughout, including a spectacular dive that altered a shot by the Panthers’ Gabby Zendejas just enough to let it slide past the left goal post.

“I really wanted to beat them tonight,” said Kisling, who also plays on the volleyball and softball squads. “It’s Porterville (6-3 EYL) and they’re always good. We always try to play our best against them.”

Zendejas and fellow forward Heather Hicks each took several shots in the first half from all angles, but Kisling either caught them or deflected them away.

“She made a lot of saves for us tonight,” Granite coach Gabe Rodriguez said. “Sometimes I take her for granted and she’s an excellent goalkeeper.”

Granite’s stingy defenders held the normally high-scoring Panthers without a goal in the first 20 minutes. But seven minutes into the second half, Sabrina Vallin relayed a touch pass to Hicks, who was all alone in front of Kisling and fired a hard shot into the upper right corner of the net.

“That was a tough shot,” Kisling admitted. “There was no way I could’ve saved that one.”

Granite (4-7-1 EYL) struggled to get good looks to tie it up, though both coaches said the presence of senior Xochilt Yahuaca made a huge difference in the Grizzlies’ offense. Yahuaca returned from a knee injury and played in her final game Wednesday.

“She came back for us and she didn’t have to do it,” Rodriguez said. “But she’s led these young girls on and off the field and that shows you what type of person she is.”