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Pride on hunt for league title
Pitman girls soccer 1
The Pride celebrate their 2-0 victory over Enochs on Friday, putting them in a winner-take-all showdown for the CCAL title against Gregori High next week (CANDY PADILLA/The Journal).

Pitman High's girls soccer team got goals from Tatiana Rios and Lillyana Rodriguez en route to a 2-0 victory over Enochs on Friday, setting up a winner-take-all showdown for the Central California Athletic League title next week at Gregori High School.

The Pride entered Friday’s action a single point behind the Jaguars. With the victory, Pitman improves to 7-1-1 in CCAL play, while Gregori stands at 7-0-2. Tuesday’s winner will be the new league champion. A tie would give the title to the Jags.

Gregori won 2-0 when they met Jan. 22.

Pitman girls soccer 2
Tatiana Rios scored one of the Pride’s two goals in Friday’s league victory (CANDY PADILLA/The Journal).

“We’ve changed some things since we played them last time,” said coach Annabel Rangel, who guided the Pride to the league title two years ago. “When we played them last time, unfortunately, it was not the team that showed up tonight, but I hope they can take this momentum into the next game and do what they need to do. I think they’re ready. They want it more than ever.”

Enochs needed to win and get help from winless Modesto to have a shot at the title. 

With about three minutes remaining in the first half, Rios took a pass from Rodriguez a blasted a shot toward the upper right-hand corner of the frame.

“It happened really fast,” said Rios. “Lilly had the ball and was taking it down. I saw an opening and she played the ball — Jasmine (DeAlva) let it go through — and I just finished it with my left.”

Rios knew it was going in when it left her foot.

“Yeah,” she said. “I knew.”

About 10 minutes into the second half, Rodriguez put the game away.

Enochs had a couple of chances to get on the board in the second half — one ball was swept away by a defender just in front of the goal line, and another hit the crossbar off a direct kick — but couldn’t finish.