Palo Alto, Bells share boys' CCS soccer title

Palo Alto, Bells share boys' CCS soccer title
Section's top two Division I teams battle to a scoreless tie in finale

by Keith Peters
Palo Alto Online Staff

They played 110 minutes in the Central Coast Section Division I boys' soccer title match on Saturday at Milpitas High. When it was over, Bellarmine Prep hoisted the championship trophy. When the Bells were done, it was Palo Alto's turn. It was time to share because there was only one trophy and two champions. Make that co-champions. Top-seeded Palo Alto (21-1-3) got a share of its fourth section title and No. 2 Bellarmine (16-3-7) got a share of its 14th. It was a fitting end to an evenly played match against arguably the two best teams in the CCS. "Well," said Paly coach Don Briggs, "it beats losing. A loss would have been devastating." This was Palo Alto's third straight appearance in a CCS finale, the previous two coming in Division II. The Vikings lost both of those title matches and were on a mission to make sure it didn't happen again. "It's not as satisfying as we'd hoped," said Paly senior keeper Peter Johnson, "but after the past two years, we'll take it. "We played our best game, without giving up any goals in the biggest game of the year. We are champions. Finally." Palo Alto last won a CCS (Division II) title in 2000, the same year Bellarmine won the Division I crown. The Vikings also won in 1998 and 1971. "It's definitely not as good (as an outright title)," Johnson said. "It would have been nice to score. But, we played our best game and I'm happy we made this happen." Johnson, who arguably played his best match of the season because he blanked the Bells for 110 minutes, said his teammates took a corny saying by Briggs to heart. "His classic saying is 'refuse to lose,'" Johnson said. "And that's what we did. We refused to lose. We weren't about to walk off the field lie we did the past two years." Palo Alto lost to Pajaro Valley in overtime last season and Gonzales in Johnson's sophomore year. "It was a great run," Briggs said of the season, which saw the Vikings lose just once (2-0 to Gilroy in the Homestead Christmas Cup in December). Paly allowed just one goal during an 11-0-1 SCVAL De Anza Division championship season and earned the No. 1 seed for the CCS playoffs. Johnson was the foundation for the strong defense, allowing fewer than 10 goals all season. He was credited with six saves on Saturday, it it seemed like a lot more. He was never busier this season. In the second 10-minute overtime period, Johnson went high for a save and was clobbered by Bellarmine's Matt Taylor. Johnson hit the ground and lay for a moment before finally getting up and staying in the game. Paly's Elliot Sanborn also was briefly injured, just before Johnson, and came out briefly. His presence, however, was important all match long as he was able to make accurate flip throw-ins from nearly 50 yards in to give the Vikings a dangerous weapon. Unfortunately for Paly, it was not able to capitalize on Sanborn's throws. It was a defensive struggle the whole way with both teams doing an outstanding job of denying each other. Bellarmine got outstanding play from junior Matt Taylor, the West Catholic Athletic League's defensive player of the year who played a physical, yet skilled style and made clearance after clearance. Palo Alto countered with sophomore defenders Riley Smith and John Richardson, senior John Christopherson and senior midfielder Adam Zernik, among others. gh the keepers hands, but Bellarmine's Jon Kupiec was on the goal line to clear it out. In the second half, Sanborn threw in to Kevin Ashworth, whose header hit the cross bar. Johnson made the save of the game in the 64th minute, diving to his right to get to a shot by Eric Kirchick. After the game, Johnson had a bag of ice on a big scrape on his right hip from the play. Both teams had plenty of opportunities. With 32:40 to play, a Bells' defender cleared the ball back to their goalie who tapped it out to a teammate. Paly's John Anderson, however, raced in a stole it, ripping a shot just right of the cage. Just a few minutes later, Paly freshman Kris Hoglund whipped a hard header off a throw-in by Sanborn, which just missed. Four minutes later, Paly senior Kevin Ashworth hit the crossbar following a rebound off another throw-in by Sanborn. Bellarmine had its own chances, one of the best coming in the second overtime when the Bells missed a point-blank shot in front of the cage -- bouncing it off the football goal post behind the cage. "Both teams had opportunities," Briggs said. "The window of opportunity was so small. We just didn't finish or hit our shots. But, to hold them to zero . . ." It was certainly worth a co-championship.

Palo Alto, Bells play to scoreless tie in title game

Palo Alto, Bells play to scoreless tie in title game -

By Dennis Knight

Mercury News

Prospect rallies to win Division III soccer crown

Palo Alto goalkeeper Peter Johnson came out to make a play on a well-placed corner kick while Bellarmine College Prep's Matt Taylor charged toward the net to make a header.

The ensuing collision looked like a hit on the football field — and epitomized an epic battle that resulted in a 0-0 tie in the Central Coast Section Division I soccer championship at Milpitas High.

Johnson got his hands on the ball and Taylor was called for a foul, but there were no hard feelings.

"I didn't see him coming. I was going after the ball and got clocked, but that happens," said Johnson, who had six saves.

The teams share the championship. It was the 14th CCS title for Bellarmine and the fourth for Palo Alto (21-1-3), which has been in the finals three straight years, including an overtime loss to Pajaro Valley last year. View Full Story

Monta Vista girls capture soccer title

Monta Vista girls capture soccer title -

By Dennis Knight

Mercury News

The Monta Vista girls soccer team defeated league rival Palo Alto 2-1 at Valley Christian High to capture the Central Coast Section Division I title. It was the second CCS title in the program's history. View Full Story

New duo up front lifts Quakes 2-0

New duo up front lifts Quakes -

By Elliott Almond

Mercury News

This are not last year's Earthquakes. Not even close, judging from Friday night's 2-0 exhibition victory over the Colorado Rapids at Buck Shaw Stadium. View Full Story

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East Side Union meeting on high school sports set for Thursday

East Side Union meeting on high school sports set for Thursday

Posted by DennisKnight on February 25th, 2009 at 2:06 pm | Categorized as Football

The East Side Union District is holding a meeting on Thursday, Feb. 26 in the Overfelt High School Gym. This meeting is supposed to bring the East Side community up to date regarding the plans for the 2009-10 sports programs.

Parents and athletes are urged to attend to let the ESUHS Superintentdent know about their concerns regarding the proposed cutting of sports next year in the 11 school East Side Union District.

The Superintendent will then meet with the full school board in a meeting set for Monday, March 2 at 5 p.m. at Evergreen High School.

High school playoffs: Propsect advances to soccer final

By Dennis Knight

Mercury News

Posted: 02/26/2009 09:18:44 PM PST

A brisk breeze made the going tough in Prospect's Central Coast Section Division III semifinal against Palma on Thursday.

But Prospect was able to take advantage of the gusts — scoring a first-half goal from senior Anthony Salciccia with the wind at its back and hanging on for a 1-0 victory at Milpitas High.

The No. 8 Panthers (16-4-3) will play in the second CCS final in school history when they face the winner of Burlingame/Terra Nova at Milpitas at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Salciccia, who is headed to Cal on a soccer scholarship, continued his torrid postseason run.

Playing against the wind in the first half, Palma keeper Xavier Mottu tried a low, conservative clearance pass to one of his defenders.

But Salciccia swooped in on the right wing to make the first touch. From 31 yards out he settled the ball and quickly launched a perfectly placed left-footed shot that found the left side of the net.

"The left back had his back to the ball and I was able to anticipate it and slam it to the left side," said Salciccia, who has scored all five of Prospect's playoff goals.

But the talented senior had help. The Panthers are a skilled and play an appealing brand of soccer.

Junior defender Trevor Hinshaw made several impressive clearances. He teams with junior Aref Elbanna and sophomore Jose Perez to form a solid back line.

Perez' deft ballhandling skills helped to move the ball out of the Prospect zone several times in the second half when Palma (14-5-2) had the wind at its back.

"All three of my defenders are midfielders at heart," Prospect Coach Frank Medina said.

Salciccia's gift for the game was evident from the start, as it has been all year in a season where he has scored 31 goals with 15 assists. Salciccia scored a hat trick in Prospect's playoff opening victory against Sacred Heart Prep and scored another goal in extra time against No. 1 seeded Santa Cruz to tie the score; the Panthers eventually won on penalty kicks.

"If you're sitting in the stands, it's easy to see that Anthony stands out among the 22 players on the field," Medina said. "He's not overrated at all, but this is a total team and teams that have played us understand that. The guys around him are underrated."

Prospect is back in its first CCS final since the Panthers tied Monta Vista in 1992 to take a share of the Division II title.

Check out Dennis Knight's After School blog at blogs.mercurynews.com/highschools. Contact him at dknight@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5899.

WPS - Fashion Show - New Uniforms

On Tuesday, February 24th, 2009, Womens Professional Soccer, PUMA and international soccer stars Marta Vieira da Silva, Leslie Osborne and Amy Rodriguez revealed the new home and away uniforms for the leagues inaugural season. The event was hosted by media personality and two-time Olympic gold medalist, Summer Sanders. In addition to the uniforms, fashion designer Christian Siriano showcased his fashion interpretation of the home and away uniforms, creating two unique outfits inspired by the sport and team uniforms.

Just curious, when did soccer players start wearing skirts? I know that in field hockey, tennis, and squash players mostly women wear skirts. Is Sepp Blatter running WPS? Does anyone remember 2005? FIFA president Sepp Blatter said the women's game needed different sponsors from men's soccer and could attract these clients with the use of "more feminine uniforms." Blatter made the comments during an interview with the Swiss newspaper SonntagsBlick.

"Tighter shorts, for example," Blatter told SonntagsBlick. "In volleyball the women also wear other uniforms than the men. Pretty women are playing football today. Excuse me for saying that."

In the report, Blatter suggested women's soccer should try attracting fashion and cosmetics sponsors. Several women's soccer players have shrugged off or lashed out at the FIFA president's comments.

Obviously we know who runs soccer... George, Abe, Jackson, Hamilton and every other Dead President on the Green Back.

CYSA North Soccer California

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Cal-North '92 Boys ODP Team Wins! The Cal-North '92 Boys ODP Team won the '92 Boys Age Group at the US Youth Soccer Region IV ODP Regional Championships on Mon., Jan. 20. Held in Phoenix, they earned the right to represent Region IV at the US Youth Soccer National ODP Championships to be held in Mar. 20-22 at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Tex. With a combined roster of '92s and '93s, Cal-North went undefeated, scoring 10 goals while giving up only three, with three shutouts. Click here for the full story!
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Gunn, Paly soccer teams making history at CCS tournament

All four boys' and girls' teams have advanced to the semifinals together for the first times ever

A little local history is being made this week at the Central Coast Section soccer playoffs. For the first time ever, the Gunn and Palo Alto boys' and girls' teams have advanced to the semifinals. Only one previous time have Gunn and Palo Alto met at thus juncture, when the boys' met in the 2005 semifinals with Gunn winning on penalty kicks following a 1-1 deadlock. Thus, it will be a special time when the boys compete in Tuesday's Division I semifinals at Milpitas High and the girls take the field at Valley Christian (San Jose) on Wednesday. Since all of the Gunn-Paly teams are in opposite brackets, the possibility exists that all four could advance to championship matches on Saturday, at their same respective locations. The No. 11-seeded Gunn boys (11-6-5), the lowest remaining seed in the Division I tournament, takes the field first on Tuesday (4:30 p.m.) against No. 2 Bellarmine (16-3-5). The top-seeded Paly boys (20-1-2) will follow at 7 p.m. against No. 4 Watsonville (20-4-2). Gunn advanced with 2-0 victory over No. 3 Mt. Pleasant on Saturday in the quarterfinals at Gilroy High, while Paly moved on with a 1-0 triump over No. 9 Alisal at Valley Christian. On Wednesday at Valley Christian, the No. 5 Gunn girls (14-5-3) will face No. 1 Monta Vista (16-3-2) at 4:30 p.m. The No. 6 Paly girls (11-7-4) will follow against No. 2 Woodside (15-2-4) at 7 p.m. The Gunn-Monta Vista match pits the SCVAL El Camino Division champion (Gunn) against the De Anza Division champ. Gunn eliminated No. 4 Gilroy, 2-0, in one quarterfinal on Saturday while Paly bounced No. 3 Leland, 5-2, in another. For the Paly girls, meanwhile, their season began with high expectations but as time went by and the Vikings sank in the De Anza Division race, the only question that remained was whether the Vikings would even make the CCS playoffs. Fortunately for the Paly seniors, the team did. Now, the Vikings are making the most of their second chance with two big victories in the Division I playoffs. Suddenly, Palo Alto is a victory away from reaching a CCS championship match for the first time since 1989 and two wins from winning the program's first section title since 1980. "It's definitely a reachable goal," said Paly junior Kelly Jenks, of possibly reaching the title match. "We're just really excited. It's great to get past the second round." Jenks, meanwhile, helped make things happen in a big way Saturday as she scored five goals. She now has seven goals in two CCS matches and 23 goals on the season. Not too surprisingly, Jenks was named Junior Player of the Year in the SCVAL De Anza Division this season. Jenks spread the credit around for her five goals, the most she's ever scored in a high school match. "Sammi (Bengston) and Jessie (Duller) did a really good job of setting me up on some of those goals," Jenks said of her fellow co-captains. "It was a joint effort." Since Duller was moved to center-midfield late in the season from her normal defensive position, Palo Alto's offense has warmed up and allowed Duller to help create more offense opportunities along with Bengston, both of whom are also club teammates. "Moving Jessie to center-mid really worked out," Jenks said. "We're just jelling really well right now." Jenks was pushed from behind by a Leland player in the 11th minute of Saturday's match. Paly was awarded a free kick, with Duller (a first team all-league selection) sending the ball from right to left across the field. Jenks ran from the left and into the kick, connecting for the first goal. The second of five goals for Jenks was a nice setup of passes, starting with junior Maeve Stewart feeding the ball to Duller, who crossed the ball to Jenks in front of the net. Jenks got her head on it and for a 2-0 lead. Jenks' third goal came at the 18-minute mark of the first half with an unassisted effort. While the match appeared well in hand, Jenks wasn't done. She tallied her fourth goal at the 39th minute with the assist going to Bengston, another first team All-De Anza Division selection. Jenks started the second half with a goal in the first few minutes. Bengston fed Jenks a beautiful and long through-ball. Jenks was racing the Leland keeper to get to the ball first and did, getting her foot on it and tapping the ball to the side. Once past the goalie, Jenks finished the play for a 5-0 match. Paly sophomore keeper Alex Kershner had three big saves in the first half, one where she dived in mid-air to knock away a shot headed for the far corner of the net -– saving a sure goal. Kershner eventually lost her shutout, one goal coming on a loose ball at Paly's defensive end and the other off a well-executed corner kick. Kershner finished with eight saves while sophomore outside backs Gracie Marshall and Gracie Cain had standout games, helping to keep the Paly defensive line strong. The Gunn girls will join Paly in the semifinals following their big win at Gilroy. Erin Robinson scored Gunn's first goal in the first half. Ina the second half, it was Kelly McKenna scoring on a header off a corner kick from Eleanor Greely. Gilroy scored with 12 minutes left but Gunn hung on for the victory. This will be the Titans' first appearance in the semifinals since 1999. Gunn had to travel to Gilroy for essentially a home game for the Gilroy Mustangs, but the visiting Titans were undaunted and attacked from the start. Their efforts were rewarded in the 16th minute, when back Emmiliese von Clemm served a dangerous ball into the penalty area from the right flank. Robinson took advantage of the great service by collecting the ball and striking a driven shot past the Gilroy keeper for a 1-0 lead. Gilroy had several dangerous runs from its skilled right forward, who had tremendous pace and speed in penetrating the right side. The combined efforts of Gunn defenders Diana Wise and Mariah Cannon prevented Gilroy from converting those runs into goals. Halftime ended with the Titans holding a 1-0 lead. Gunn doubled its lead in the 51 minute, when the Titans were awarded a corner kick. Eleanor Greely served a perfect ball from the left side to midfielder McKenna, who finished with a precise header into the goal. Gilroy finally scored in the 68th minute, with a blistering breakaway run on the left side that forced Titans' keeper Jessie Belfer to come out to challenge. Belfer forced the shot wide left, but a Mustangs' player making a weakside run finished the ball to spring new life for Gilroy. With only 12 minutes left, Gilroy threw all of its players into the attack to try to get the equalizer, creating anxious moments as Gunn players defended under tremendous pressure. Thanks to tough defending by midfielders Megan Clendenin, Sabina Sood, Melissa Sun and the threat of a counterattack by forward Taylor Gardiner, Gunn was able to withstand the onslaught, run out the clock and complete a 2-1 victory. Girls Division III The Priory saw its season end in a 4-2 penalty-kick shootout with top-seeded Santa Cruz on Saturday at Watsonville High. The No. 8-seeded Panthers (15-5-2) grabbed the lead in the second half on a goal by senior Sarah Montgomery off an assist from senior Leslie Barkmann, but the Cardinals tied it 15 minutes later off a free kick that was headed in. "It really could have gone either way," said Priory coach Armando Del Rio, who had two starters injured, two starters sick and one missing due to injury. "Things were against us, but we battled." Senior Zoe Ciupitu and freshman Molly Simpson both were sick, but played. Junior Adriana Cortes had a pulled hamstring, that forced her to the sideline on occasion. Montgomery played despite not practicing for the past two weeks due to shin problems. The big loss, of course, was last season's scoring leader Massiel Castellanos, who missed most of the season with a stress fracture. Del Rio said he was tempted to use her in the penalty kicks, but finally decided against it. Castellanos isn't supposed to healthy enough to play until mid-March at the earliest. "I was proud of them," Del Rio said. "After it was tied, it was anyone's game." Barkmann, goalie Dani Boross, Montgomery and defender Courtney Lee will be big losses to graduation for Priory, which beat Santa Cruz last season in the semifinals and lost to the Cardinals the year before. At Harker School, No. 2 Sacred Heart Prep (14-3-5) advanced after sophomore Abby Dahlkemper drilled a free kick in the 70th minute to break a deadlock with No. 7 Menlo (14-5-5) and give the Gators a 2-1 victory. Sacred Heart Prep grabbed a 1-0 lead in the 33rd minute when senior Kira Abe took a cross from Dahlkemper and scored. In the 57th minute, Menlo senior Madi Shove knocked in a penalty kick for a 1-1 match. The victory sends SHP into a semifinal on Thursday against No. 3 seed Notre Dame-Belmont at Valley Christian High at 4:30 p.m. Notre Dame-Belmont advanced with a 1-0 win over defending section champ Scotts Valley. Sacred Heart Prep and ND-Belmont previously faced each other in the West Catholic Athletic League. -- Keith Peters

Paly upends Wildcats

By Nathan Mollat, Daily Journal Staff

Nathan Mollat / Daily Journal Woodside’s Chelsea Braun shields a Palo Alto defender off the ball during the Wildcats’ 1-0 loss in the CCS Division I semifinals.

SAN JOSE — In Saturday’s Central Coast Section Division I quarterfinals, the Woodside girls’ soccer team dodged a bullet when the Mountain View team missed several first-half scoring opportunities as the Wildcats prevailed in penalty kicks.

Now Woodside knows how Mountain View must have felt after that game. Despite controlling a bulk of the game and having several golden scoring chances, the second-seeded Wildcats failed to convert. Sixth-seeded Palo Alto, on the other hand, had two legitimate scoring chances. The Vikings converted one of them and advanced to the CCS Division I finals for the first time since 2003 with a 1-0 win over the Wildcats at Valley Christian High in San Jose Wednesday night.

Palo Alto will face top-seed Monta Vista in Saturday’s Division I championship game at a time to be determined.

“We just beat a great team. They’re very solid. I have a lot of respect for that team,” said Palo Alto coach Ernesto Cruz, who coached the Woodside frosh-soph team during the 2003-04 season. “I knew it would be one-nothing. Whoever scored would win.”

Woodside coach Jose Navarrete didn’t have much to complain about. And although he didn’t say it, you know he was thinking it — that’s soccer.

“Our girls played well. They played hard,” Navarrete said. “I felt Woodside should have come out of here with a win. … No disrespect to Palo Alto.”

The game featured two teams with contrasting styles. Woodside used a direct attack, using Chelsea Braun’s and Taylor Duffner’s dangerous runs up top, versus a Palo Alto squad that did an excellent job of knocking the ball around and building its attack from the midfield. Cruz said others were telling him what to expect from Woodside and how the Vikings should best counter. Instead, Cruz told his girls to just play the way they know how.

In the end, however, it was a set piece that ultimately decided the game. The Vikings had only two corner kicks — both in the second half — compared to four for Woodside, but the Vikings converted on their second attempt in the 57th minute. Jessie Duller whipped a cross into the Woodside penalty box, where Kelly Jenks — who scored all five goals in Palo Alto’s 5-2 win over Leland in the quarterfinals — flicked the ball on with her head. Maeve Stewart, who had lost her mark, headed the ball on goal and while not a strong effort, it was well placed — just over the outstretched arms of Woodside goalkeeper Emily Kruger and just under the crossbar for the game-winning goal.

Woodside pushed over the final 23 minutes, coming up with several dangerous opportunities, but the Wildcats just could not get a clean shot away or had the ball just sail wide or high.

After a lackluster game against Mountain View Saturday, Woodside (15-3-4) came out with a lot more confidence and aggressiveness against Palo Alto (12-7-4). The Wildcats’ midfield was active and involved both offensively and defensively, while the backline played physical and challenged every ball. The Wildcats definitely looked like a No. 2 seed and dominated the opening 10 minutes of the game. Winger Chelsea Braun was one of the most dangerous players on the field and she made several dangerous runs in those opening minutes — her best was her effort in tight quarters in which the ball appeared tied to her feet as she juked her way through three defenders in the penalty box before finally being knocked off the ball.

The Wildcats will rue the final 10 minutes of the first half as they had three excellent chances to take a lead, only to come up empty. The first came off a free kick from just past the midfield stripe. Megan McKee sent the ball into the Palo Alto penalty box. It was headed into space and Caitlin Brandman ran onto it and blasted a one-timer — just over the top of the goal.

That would be theme of the night for the Wildcats. Minutes later, Braun unleashed a shot from 25 yards out. Palo Alto goalkeeper Alex Kershner dropped to her knees to make the initial save, but gave up a rebound that bounced several yards in front of her. Duffner came streaking in and beat Kershner to the ball, but lifted it over the top of the goal.

With about two minutes before halftime, the Palo Alto defense cleared out a Woodside corner kick but it was intercepted by Woodside’s Lily Tapia, who sent a long pass to the top of the penalty box to Brandman, who again shot it just over the crossbar.

“Those (near misses) are the ones that scare you,” Navarrete said. “The ones that haunt you.”

For Palo Alto, the Vikings now have a chance to win its first CCS title since 1982.

“I said, ‘Let’s go make history,’” Cruz said.

Navarrete said he was proud of the way his team grew from a month ago when the Wildcats suffered a demoralizing 4-0 loss to Burlingame in league play. The Wildcats turned it around from there and had one of the most successful seasons in school history.

And with only one senior on the team, the Wildcats expect to get only better in the coming years.

“We’re young,” Navarrete said. “We feel like sharks who got a taste of blood. We’ll be back.”

PAL’s best in CCS finals

By Nathan Mollat, Daily Journal Staff

Nathan Mollat / Daily Journal Burlingame Jenny Haggerty, right, and St. Francis’ Claire Fuselier battle for position to head the ball during the Panthers’ 3-1 win over the Lancers in the CCS Division II semifinals. SAN JOSE — The Burlingame girls’ soccer team found itself in an unfamiliar position at halftime of the its Central Coast Section Division II semifinal game against sixth-seeded St. Francis. For one of only a few times this season, the second-seeded Panthers found themselves trailing 1-0 at Valley Christian High in San Jose. There was no panic, however. No big sense of urgency on the part of the Panthers. They simple turned their game up a notch and scored three times in the second half to move into Saturday’s championship game for the second year in a row. “I was very comfortable in the first half, even though they scored that goal,” said Burlingame coach Phillip De Rosa. “When they came off the field (at halftime) I said, ‘Hey ladies, it’s only one goal.’” For many teams, the timing and the way the Lancers scored would have been demoralizing. The Burlingame defense made one mistake, with about two minutes left in the half, and the Lancers capitalized. From just past the midfield stripe, St. Francis’ Stephanie Bell sent a long pass toward the top of the Burlingame penalty box. Burlingame sweeper Cassie Root mis-timed her jump and the ball barely went over her head — right to Maddie Payne, who one-timed a shot to the far right corner for the 1-0 advantage just before halftime. It was a short-lived lead, however. Jenny Haggerty scored the equalizer seven minutes into the second half and Taylor McCann capped the comeback with a pair of spectacular goals. “We knew we needed to pick it up a lot (in the second half),” McCann said. “In the second half, everyone started stepping (up) to 50-50 balls. Once we started doing that, it all clicked.” While Root’s ill-timed jump resulted in the Lancers’ goal, her error was tiny compared to huge mistake the St. Francis defense made that resulted in the game-tying goal. A St. Francis defender attempted a backpass to her goalkeeper, but hit it much too softly. Haggerty sprinted by a defensive line that bottled her up in the first half and beat the goalkeeper to the ball, poking it past her and into the goal to tie the score at 1 — eerily reminiscent of her game-winning goal against Presentation in the quarterfinals Saturday. That goal energized the Panthers, who dominated play and stayed on the attack for the majority of the second half. Eleven minutes later, Burlingame took the lead. St. Francis failed the clear the ball out of danger and Burlingame midfielder Katie Webb intercepted the ball about 20 yards from the Lancers’ goal. She chested the ball down and faked a shot, instead delivering a short pass to McCann, who also faked a one-timer. She moved around the defender to create space for herself and unleashed a blast that she buried in the upper net for the 2-1 advantage. McCann wasn’t done. Late in the game, she rifled a shot off the crossbar before icing the game in stoppage time with another highlight-reel goal. She stole the ball from a St. Francis defender, took a couple of touches and hit a laser just over the outstretched hands of the St. Francis goalkeeper and just under the crossbar. “Unbelievable,” De Rosa said of McCann’s goals. “I don’t think Hope Solo (U.S. National team goalkeeper) could have saved those.” The goals helped soothe a frustrating first half that saw the Panthers have their chances, only to see St. Francis thwart them every time. The game started well with Burlingame putting pressure on the St. Francis goal for the opening 10 minutes, doing a good job of building in the middle and then out to the flanks for crosses back to the top of the penalty box. St. Francis eventually turned the tide and got its offense going. Burlingame goalkeeper Amanda Koester kept the game scoreless in the 18th minute when she made a diving stop of a Bell shot. As the first half wore on, however, Burlingame got out of its normal game plan and tried the direct approach, sending long balls from their defensive end up to Haggerty, who then had to run by the defense before trying to beat the Lancers’ goalkeeper — a low-percentage attack. The Panthers got back to stringing passes and pressuring the defense in the second half to perfection and they’ll get a chance to defend their CCS title Saturday against either No. 1 St. Ignatius or No. 5 Mitty at Valley Christian. “This victory here is for the PAL Bay and all the teams that got us prepared for this,” De Rosa said. “This is for the Woodsides, the Carlmonts, the Aragons … all of them. This is a win for the PAL.”

High school playoffs: Palo Alto, Bellarmine in soccer final

Bellarmine College Preparatory's Matt Taylor (13), right, fights for the ball against Gunn High...

By Dennis Knight
Mercury News

Posted: 02/25/2009 12:03:52 PM PST

Watsonville showcased a beautiful brand of soccer Tuesday, but the Wildcatz had no answer for Palo Alto's secret weapon.

Elliot Sanborn's dynamic flip throws were traveling up to 45 yards in the air, and the Palo Alto junior assisted on one goal and scored another as the Vikings beat Watsonville 4-3 in double overtime at Milpitas to advance to their third consecutive Central Coast Section title game.

Palo Alto will face defending Division I champion Bellarmine College Prep on Saturday at Milpitas at a time to be announced.

The Bells will need to defend Sanborn, a former gymnast who stands about 5-foot-6 but has an enormous impact on the game.

Watsonville (19-5-2) tied the score 1-1 in the 20th minute on a perfectly placed direct kick to the right post from 30 yards by Cesar Chavez. Three minutes later, Chavez took an indirect kick, hitting Antonio Montejano in stride as he headed it into the goal.

Sanborn's flip throw in the 45th minute went high in the air for about 40 yards before being tapped in by Adam Zernik. But Palo Alto (20-1-2) thought its title hopes were dashed in the 76th minute when Chavez took a long free kick that defender Jenner Fox tried to head away but accidentally knocked past his goalie.

The Vikings' last chance came in extra time, and Sanborn made a strong 35-yard throw-in. Wildcatz goalie David Munoz went up high to grab it, but the ball got by him and went into the goal to tie the score at 3-3.

"The ball was really flying tonight because of the adrenaline of playing in a playoff game," Sanborn said.

Fox made up for the own goal in the 94th minute, feeding Spencer Sims on a breakaway, and Palo Alto held on for the victory.

n"‚Bellarmine's Taylor Heer lined up for a free kick looking to find a teammate in front of the goal for a chance at a header. Instead, his 25-yard kick from the right wing caught a gust and sailed over Gunn's goalie, catching the left side of the net in the 53rd minute to pad the Bells' lead during a 2-0 win in the other semifinal.

"If anyone asked if I meant to make that, I'll just say 'Don't worry about it,' " Heer said with a smile. "I was just trying to loft it up there and when the wind caught it, I said, 'Thank you.' "

In the first half, Gunn (14-6-6) got a spectacular save on the goal line from defender Sterling Hancock, who headed away a volley from Michael Escobar. But in the 49th minute, the Bells scored on a corner kick by Kyle Watson. A Gunn defender headed the ball out, and the Bells' Matt Morales volleyed it past the right post.

Bellarmine (16-3-6) will be playing for its 14th title Saturday. Palo Alto hopes to win its fourth CCS title and first since 2000. The Vikings have lost in the Division II final the past two seasons.

n"‚In the girls Division II semifinals, Archbishop Mitty upset No. 1 seed St. Ignatius 6-5 in a penalty-kick shootout after a 3-3 draw, and Burlingame rallied to beat St. Francis 3-1 behind two goals from Taylor McCann. No. 2 seed Burlingame (20-1-3), looking to repeat as Division II champion, will meet No. 5 seed Mitty (15-5-5) on Saturday in the final at Valley Christian.

Mitty trailed St. Ignatius 3-1 with 12 minutes left before tying the score and winning in the seventh round of penalty kicks.

Freshman Hayley Wilson came off the bench to score the Monarchs' second goal in the 68th minute on an assist by Michaela Matulich. With four minutes left, Matulich scored on an assist from Monique Rootsaert for the second time in the game.

Mitty hit the post twice in overtime, then brought in freshman goalie Natalie Ogden to face the penalty kickers for St. Ignatius (16-2-3). Ogden's diving save in the sixth round set up Katie Zdankus' deciding penalty kick.

"S.I. had the momentum, but our girls put their heads down and worked hard," Mitty Coach J.T. Hanley said. "You could feel the shift and then we had the run of play."

St. Francis tops Leigh, reaches soccer final

By Dennis Knight

Mercury News
Posted: 02/25/2009 10:32:31 PM PST

All season long, St. Francis soccer coach Mike Salvemini has been exhorting his team to play with more energy — and Wednesday, David Preston answered the call.

Preston scored the Lancers' first goal on a play that illustrated his frenetic style of play and St. Francis went on to beat Leigh 3-0 in a Central Coast Section Division II semifinal at Milpitas High.

The Lancers (12-9-3) will face St. Ignatius in the final at the same venue Saturday at a time to be announced.

The Lancers scored in the third minute as Preston kept the pressure on a Leigh defender who attempted to head the ball back to keeper Cordell Lundberg. Preston got there first and scooted the ball into the net.

"I've been trying to get the guys to crash on the ball and be more hungry," Salvemini said. "We've been pleading for that kind of hustle and David gave it to us."

St. Francis scored again in the 15th minute when Nick Salvemini flicked a throw- in with his head to Conor Drumm, who settled the ball about 10 yards in front of the goal before slotting it into the top right corner.

Preston assisted on a goal by Sean Little.

Leigh got excellent play from Shaun Kaefer and Jaspar Kroehnert, and had its best chance in the 66th minute when Keith Volden took a cross from Kaefer and fired a shot on goal. St. Francis keeper Lucas Bunzel made a diving save.

St. Ignatius tied Mitty 0-0 but advanced by winning 5-4 on penalty kicks.

Mitty (11-6-6) had one of its best chances in the last seconds of the fourth overtime when Vinnie Caloiaro delivered a free kick to Kevin Atkins, whose header was just high of the goal.

Goalie Billy Knutsen made a diving save of Jimmy Atwell's penalty shot to help St. Ignatius (17-3-5).

In a girls Division I semifinal at Valley Christian, Monta Vista (16-3-3) advanced to Saturday's final with a 2-0 win over Gunn. The Matadors will face Palo Alto, which beat Woodside 1-0, in the final at a time to be announced.

Monta Vista outplayed the Titans (14-6-3) from the beginning. Gunn didn't get a shot off until the 56th minute and was outshot 18-5.

"We played well," Monta Vista Coach Alan Kute said. "We had some chances to score in the first half, but their goalie made some great saves."

The Matadors finally broke through on a corner kick by Cheryl Tom as Shandon Rovella sifted through a crowd to head in a goal in the 53rd minute. Minutes later the Matadors made a counterattack on a nice through ball from Sandra Ley to Michelle Pao, who beat a defender, then rolled a shot past the oncoming keeper.

Palo Alto (12-7-4) scored in the 57th minute against Woodside (14-3-5). On a corner kick by Jesse Duller, Maeve Stewart headed the ball into the net.

Media News' John Reid contributed to this report.