The562’s high school soccer coverage for the 2025-26 season is sponsored by Long Beach Poly soccer alum Kennedy Justin.
The562’s coverage of Millikan Athletics for the 2025-26 school year is sponsored by Brian Ramsey and TLD Law.
As the saying goes, defense wins championships.
If that’s true, then the 2026 Millikan Rams should like their chances over the next two games. For the third time in this year’s CIF-SS Division 2 playoffs (and the ninth consecutive time overall) the Millikan defense didn’t allow a goal on Wednesday night at Warren High, picking up a 1-0 win over the Bears to advance to the semifinals on Saturday.
Heck, even a defender did the honors of scoring the game’s only goal, as Giselle “Gigi” Fang blasted in a long-distance strike in the 48th minute, giving the Rams all the offense they’d need to make their deepest playoff run in recent memory.
“This is credit to the depth of the team, our leadership, especially in the back, that shut things down and got another shutout. And if we’re getting shutouts, you always give yourself a chance for a moment,” said Millikan head coach Tino Nunez. “We came out, talked about the second half being ours, and the girls came out on the front foot and got the goal that we kind of needed. I was just proud of their effort.”
The Rams’ defense, with a senior back line of Fang, Savannah Galvan and London Perez, plus goalkeeper Samantha Ortiz, hasn’t allowed a goal since Jan. 9. Through 22 matches this season, they’ve only surrendered eight goals combined.
“Before the games, me, Sav and London, we always have a pregame ritual, just ‘Nothing goes in,’” said Fang of the back line’s success. “As soon as it comes close, we just get it out, and we’re a unit–if one steps, we cover, we just have that teamwork.”
It’s been a point of pride for the Rams, who have gone 16-17 players deep throughout the playoffs, and have still been able to maintain communication and doggedly protect their goal.
“I think the message is always, if the other team is gonna get something, they’re going to have to earn it,” said Nunez of his defense. “And it’s everybody working. Our defense starts from our front line, and it goes to our back line, and just a collective effort to keep the shutouts and make it hard for teams to break us down.”
The Rams had a few quality chances to score in the first half, including a 1v1 in the 8th minute as Furby Rios was sent through on a breakaway by Caoimhe Tighe’s well-placed through ball. Rios was able to put a shot on target, but Warren keeper Rin Soto was able to get enough of her foot on the ball to send it just wide of the post.
Millikan’s breakthrough came after a solid start to the second half, and was the result of a corner kick by Jayla Cortes. She nearly scored directly from the corner, forcing a fingertip save by Soto. As the ball was cleared, it went toward Fang who was able to get her laces through it, burying her shot from nearly 30 yards away.
“I really wasn’t expecting it,” Fang admitted. “All they said was, ‘Just get it in,’ like you never know if it’ll go in. And I went for it and it went in.”
The Rams were able to see out the rest of the match, and were closer to their second than the Bears were to their first. Karly Gallo nearly scored off a great cross from freshman Elle Aoun, who played some quality minutes off the bench, and Adelyn Murphy put a shot on target in the final minute.
Millikan (17-4-1) will remain on the road for their semifinal on Saturday, traveling to face the Bonita Bearcats (17-5-1) up in La Verne.
