San Diego, CA
Tom Krasovic: A San Diego teenager provides hope for crashing Wave
For the struggling San Diego Wave FC, a teenager represents hope.
Melanie Barcenas has magic feet, as verified by her last two matches since returning from a hip injury.
The 16-year-old’s exciting trap-and-shot late in Friday’s match wasn’t enough to end the Wave’s struggles. The goalkeeper knocked away the high-speed shot, and the Portland Thorns broke through for a goal in the 84th minute, leading to the visiting Wave’s 1-0 defeat before an announced crowd of 18,011.
But talent is talent.
It’s clear Barcenas, a Clairemont-area native and former San Diego Surf star, has it.
“Oh, she’s so exciting,” Wave interim coach Paul Buckle said. “It’s not easy coming off the bench for any professional player, but she’s made it look pretty easy.”
Wave defender Hanna Lundkvist says this of Barcenas: “She’s brave and she’s got techniques.”
The Wave are desperate for scoring punch. Look for Barcenas to get more chances beginning Aug. 24, when the National Women’s Soccer League’s regular season resumes following the Paris Olympics.
Plagued by imprecision and disconnection, the 10th-place Wave (3-7-6) have been shut out in their past three-and-half games — including both matches since team president Jill Ellis fired coach Casey Stoney, the defense-first head coach.
Of course, a teen can’t be expected to come to the rescue.
The burden to turn around the offense begins with several veterans, including three accomplished NWSL scorers who are without a goal this season: forwards Alex Morgan, 35, and Maria Sanchez, 28, and midfielder Savannah McCaskill, 27.
Morgan’s drought, which spans 10 matches, appeared to end late in Friday’s first half when she tapped in a loose ball.
Then came a signal from the referee: Morgan was offside.
“That’s how it’s going for us,” said Buckle, who disagreed with the call.
Deep into her second season, Barcenas has shown she might provide a spark during the upcoming 10-game stretch that ends in early November.
She entered in the second half, just as she did in a 3-0 loss a week earlier.
Nearly decking the Thorns, she unloaded perhaps the most powerful shot any opponent has faced in the Wave’s past three matches.
The sequence began when Barcenas, a 5-foot-4 midfielder working at left wing after replacing Sánchez, tamed McCaskill’s smart crossing pass into the box with a perfect first touch. Eluding a defender, Barcenas pivoted and clubbed the bounding ball with her right foot.
Goalkeeper Shelby Hogan, on the way to her seventh shutout this season, punched the laser over the bar.
“Incredible save,” said Buckle.
Two minutes after the fans exhaled, the Thorns had them roaring.
It began with Thorns midfielder Hina Sugita stealing goalkeeper’s Kailen Sheridan’s ill-advised pass by ambushing Wave defender Kristen McNabb near the center stripe.
The sequence ended with 22-year-old Izzy D’Aquila’s one-touch goal from 4 yards, off a crossing pass from Janine Beckie, who saw D’Aquila dart past defenders Abby Dahlkemper and Lundkvist.
The final whistle sent the Wave on a glum, too familiar walk off the pitch.
They’re winless in their nine road matches, a year after winning six road games to record the league’s best away record.
Scoreless in the 300-plus minutes since rookie Mya Jones’ goal at NJ/NY Gotham FC on June 19, winless in the nine matches since they beat last-place Utah on May 8 in Mission Valley, the Wave now will try to regroup.
The layoff and exhibition matches will allow them to work on the finer points of the transition from a defense-first team to one that, in Ellis’ phrase, is “built on attacking.”
Such an overhaul takes more than two weeks.
“We have to keep believing because we did so many things right,” Buckle said. ‘We were brave again. But, we’re just not getting anything for our troubles right now. We were brave with the ball. I’d be nitpicking if I said anything different.
“I’m just desperately disappointed for the players. I said that to them, ‘Football can be cruel sometimes’. But, if we keep playing like we’re playing, it will turn. It will turn for us.”
In pursuit of a playoff bid, NWSL teams are permitted more lives than a cat. Eight of the 14 clubs get in.
Every soccer expert agrees the Wave have more talent – especially on defense led by Naomi Girma – than a handful of fellow stragglers.
All it may take is a two or three wins and a few ties. Six of the 10 matches will come in Mission Valley. Rest will be abundant, and several upcoming opponents lack game-changing firepower.
But it will take more scoring from a Wave team that shows 12 goals in 16 matches.
The Wave know the stakes. They stand as the NWSL’s most disappointing team, given they won the league title last year and were picked first or second by the soccer media and oddsmakers entering this year.
“There’s nothing to say,” said Lundkvist, who was in Sweden last season. “We have to keep going and just keep pushing.”
San Diego, CA
Man fatally struck by hit-and-run vehicle in San Diego
A man in the Mission Bay Park community of San Diego was fatally struck Sunday morning by a hit-and run vehicle, authorities said.
The victim was also struck by a second vehicle and that motorist stayed at the scene to cooperate with officers, the San Diego Police Department reported.
The initial crash occurred at about 2:20 a.m. Sunday in the area of West Mission Bay and Sea World drives.
The pedestrian was in the southbound lanes of the 2000 block of West Mission Bay Drive when he was struck by a silver vehicle also in the southbound lanes. That vehicle fled the scene, continuing southbound, police said.
A 28-year-old man driving his vehicle southbound ran over the downed pedestrian.
“That driver remained at the scene and is not DUI,” according to a police statement. “The pedestrian was pronounced deceased at the scene.”
Anyone with information regarding the initial crash was urged to call Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.
San Diego, CA
Here are the 9 San Diego County communities that set or tied heat records
San Diego County is known for having wet, cold weather in February. But it had numerous hot spells this year. And when the month ended on Saturday a high pressure system produced heat that broke or tied temperature records in nine communities from the desert to the sea, the National Weather Service said.
The most notable temperature occurred in Borrego Springs, which reached 99, five degrees higher than the previous record for Feb. 28, set in 1986. The 99 reading is also the highest temperature ever recorded in Borrego in February.
Escondido reached 95, tying a record set in 1901.
El Cajon reached 92, three degrees higher than the record set in 2009.
Ramona topped out at 88, five degrees higher than the record set in 2009.
Alpine hit 88, four degrees higher the record set in 1986.
Campo reached 87, four degrees higher than the record set in 1999.
Vista hit 86, four degrees higher than the record set in 2020.
Chula Vista reached 84, one degree higher than the record set in 2020.
Lake Cuyamaca rose to 76, four degrees higher than the record set in 1986.
Forecasters say the weather is not likely to broadly produce new highs on Sunday. Cooler air is moving to the coast, and on Monday, San Diego’s high will only reach 67, a degree above normal.
San Diego, CA
Francis Parker captures Open Division girls basketball title
OCEANSIDE — The Frontwave Arena scoreboard showed 23 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Up 16, Francis Parker’s win over Westview High School for the CIF San Diego Section Open Division girls basketball championship was secure.
“No, no, no!” Parker head coach Courtney Clements screamed to freshman guard Jordan Brown, telling her there was no need to score.
So Brown walked the ball up the floor, from the backcourt, across midcourt, a 1,000-watt smile etched across her face.
With no Wolverines defending her, Brown dribbled from side to side across the logo. Then, a fraction of a moment before the final buzzer sounded, Brown flung the basketball high toward the rafters, then was engulfed by teammates.
The job was complete. Parker’s first Open Division title in program history was secure, the final reading 66-50 on Saturday night.
Of those final seconds, said Brown, who scored 23 points. “It was a surreal moment, knowing we worked for this all year long. It’s amazing.”
One reason it was amazing was because the top-seeded Lancers (21-7) were a decided favorite, but were stressed by the sixth-seeded Wolverines (20-9). Led by UC Santa Barbara-bound senior guard Sarah Heyn (18 points in the first half), Westview led 35-28 early in the third quarter.
“I just knew I had to do whatever it took to win,” said Brown. “Whether that was defense or offense. I just wanted to win, period.”
Sparked by its defense, Parker closed the quarter on a 14-0 run. Westview’s final 11 possessions of the quarter ended with five missed shots and six turnovers.
Still, the game wasn’t over. Heyn cut the deficit to 48-44 with just over six minutes to play on a bucket. But with 5:47 to play, Heyn was whistled for her fifth foul on a reach-in.
“Knowing their best player fouled out, we sealed the win,” said Brown.
As for Heyn, who finished with 23 points, she sat on the bench and pulled her jersey over her eyes, hiding tears.
Clements’ thoughts when Heyn fouled out? “I hope we can put this game away now.”
That the Lancers did, outscoring Westview 18-6 down the stretch.
The Lancers’ players and coach were effusive in their praise for Heyn, a four-year starter.
“She’s a great player,” said Brown.
“She played phenomenally,” said Clements. “She played the way you would think a senior would play in a championship game. She played desperately. She played every possession like it was the last 20 seconds of the game. She was extremely impressive. (Heyn buried five 3s, missing only once from deep.) She should be proud of herself.”
Clements was proud of her team for another reason. After blowing out two-time reigning Open Division champion Mission Hills by 26 in the semis, some thought Parker might cruise in the title game.
“I figured it was going to be a fight, and it was,” said Clements. “It was good that our girls had to come together, had to stick together. That’s what this is all about, developing character via the sport of basketball. When the kids face adversity, they have to make a decision. Who do they want to be? They showed the best version of themselves. That’s what I want to remember from a game like this.”
Francis Parker’s primary color is brown, which is fitting for the girls basketball team. They are led not only by the freshman Jordan Brown, but also junior Brieana Brown, a strong, aggressive and athletic 5-foot-11 wing.
Brieana Brown scored 25 points and yanked down a team-best eight rebounds.
About the team in brown being led by the Browns (who are not related), Jordan Brown said: “It’s super cool. I love Bri and our story. So many people think we’re related, that we’re siblings. In reality, we’re not, but we play like it.”
Francis Parker and Westview both will advance to the Southern California Regionals.
Earlier in the season, Clements — who was dressed in all black for the championship game — confessed she wasn’t crazy about Parker’s primary color. Her mood shifted Saturday night.
“Brown’s doing well for me now,” she said.
Asked if Lancers’ Brown squared tandem represents the best one-two girls basketball punch in the San Diego Section, Clements gave the questioner a “What do you think?” smirk.
“That,” said the coach of the Open Division champions, “is a no-brainer.”
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