California High girls’ soccer vs. La Serna High at Cal’s Whittier campus field Jan. 27, 2015. (Photo by Leo Jarzomb/Whittier Daily News)

By Stephen Ramirez
WHITTIER — California and La Serna high schools had been throwing style points at each other most of the girls soccer season in hopes of impressing one another.
The visiting Lancers did more of the same on Tuesday.
Seniors Elizabeth Hernandez and Miranda Yzabal scored goals and La Serna took control of the Del Rio League race with a 2-0 victory over the host Condors.
The Lancers, ranked No. 7 in CIF-Southern Section Division 5, outshot the Condors, 15-8 and improved to 10-4-5 overall and 5-0 in the Del Rio League. California, getting nine saves from Brianna Banda, slipped to 10-6-3 and 4-1.

Hernandez had the key goal, scoring on a cornerkick in the seventh minute. She took a cross pass from senior Natasha Ortiz and headed it past Banda for a 1-0 lead.
Yzabal, after La Serna missed two inside shots in the 27th and 28th minutes, made it 2-0 in the 52nd minute following a turnover. She gathered in a loose ball near the top of the penalty area and drilled a shot past Banda for the two-goal lead.

La Serna’s Elizabeth Hernandez: “It’s always 50-50 when we play. They always give us a really good game. We just, I think, wanted it a little bit more, a little more heart. They are a very good team, you have to give that to them. It always comes down to who wants it more, who has a little bit more heart. I think we just wanted it more.”

California’s Mayra Herrera: “We woke up in the second half. Our coach told us this is what we want, we had to go get it. But sadly, we didn’t get what we wanted, but there’s always next time.”