Tirella shoots Yucaipa to victory over Carter

Braelyn Tirella races toward the Rialto goal. The senior forward scored both of Yucaipa's goals..
Photo By Bob Otto / Staff Photographer

YUCAIPA - Senior, forward, Braelyn Tirella, scored her fifth and sixth goals of the season to carry the Lady Thunderbirds to a 2-0 victory in a Citrus Belt League match over Rialto Carter on Thursday at Yucaipa High School.

The victory helps Yucaipa keep its hold on first place in the eight-team CBL with a 5-0-1 record, 16-2-2 overall, while Carter stays in fourth place at 2-2-2, 6-7-4 overall.

Carter goalkeeper, Michelle Garcia, came up with the big stops in the first half to shutout Yucaipa, but at the 42nd minute of the second half, Tirella got an assist from Isamar Meza to drive the ball by Garcia. Then at the 53rd minute she scored again on a pass from Kodi Lavrusky.

Yucaipa had 37 shots, while Carter had six. Carter goalkeeper, Garcia, was kept busy as she had 18 saves, and her counterpart, Amanda Simpson, had five.

The number eight-ranked CIF-SS Div. II Yucaipa has won 10 consecutive games since suffering back-to-back losses in mid-December in the Temecula Valley Great Oak Winter Classic.

The Lady Thunderbirds next CBL match is at Rialto (0-3-1 CBL, 1-6-4 overall) on Tuesday, Jan. 20 at 3:15 p.m.