Girls soccer: Marin Catholic pulls away late to beat Terra Linda

Marin Catholic girls soccer coach Isaiah Schwerin knew it was going to take something special to break down Terra Linda’s defense and score a goal as the two teams met in the first round of the MCAL playoffs on Tuesday.

Fortunately for MC, the Wildcats have several players capable of special moments. Sloane Carey made a spectacular solo run, pirouetting on the ball no less than three times to set up the first goal and Molly Stewart added a long-range strike for an insurance goal in the final five minutes as No. 4 MC pulled out a 2-0 victory.

“TL is for sure one of the hardest teams to break down in all of the North Coast Section,” Schwerin said. “I kind of compare them to Marin Academy in some ways in the sense that they compete so hard. It’s a very direct style of play but to break them down and get goals — as we’ve seen — it took Branson 80 minutes, Tam tied them. They’ve been so strong against so many MCAL opponents.”

The victory sends MC (12-5-2) into Thursday’s semifinals against top-seeded Tam (12-4-5). No. 3 Branson faces No. 2 Redwood in the other semifinal.

MC dominated the game in many facets except for on the scoreboard through the first 60 minutes on Tuesday as the contest remained scoreless. Carey started the sequence that led to the opening goal by making a run into TL’s 18-yard box, pulling off back-to-back spins on the ball – known as the Maradona after Argentina soccer legend Diego Maradona – before retreating back away from goal after a third spin and playing a pass back to Nora Snearly.

Snearly crossed the ball in and Alina Franchetti got her head to it before TL’s goalie could get there, powering the ball into the net for a 1-0 lead in the 63rd minute.

“It’s insane,” Franchetti said of Carey’s technical ability on the play. “Obviously she’s committed to Columbia so she’s an amazing player. She’s super technical. She can think on her feet super fast. Even when three people are on her, she always manages to keep the ball so I think that played a huge part in it. To get (the ball) to an open player like Nora to cross it in was the whole part of the play. Then Nora played almost a perfect ball to my head so I could head it in.”

Carey didn’t have the time or space to really plan what she was going to do on that run, she just did what came naturally to her.

“I got the ball at probably the 20-yard line and when I dribble, I just do it,” Carey said. “It just happened and I found myself facing the goal. I could have taken it on my left [foot] but I feel like the angle was not as good as another opportunity could have been. I picked my head up and turned around and I saw Nora standing at like the (10-yard line). I love playing with Nora and I knew she would do something with the ball so I just passed it to her. She shot it and Alina is ferocious in the box.”

TL (9-6-3) grew into the game in the second half, pushing numbers forward and creating a number of chances on set pieces. MC eventually caught TL on a counterattack for the second goal – a move that started when Snearly won the ball inside her own half and dribbled at TL’s defense.

Snearly played a ball downfield to Franchetti, who drew more defenders to her before slipping a ball out left to Stewart, who thumped in a shot from long range and gave MC the insurance goal it needed in the 75th minute.

“Alina is a very smart player and she’s very good at attacking and finding the moments to break the line,” Stewart said. “I think in that moment she saw the overload for me — there was a numerical advantage — and I was calling for it like ‘I’m on the left.’ She served me a silver-platter ball – beautiful. It was up to me to finish and I’m glad it worked out for me today.”

Although MC had dominated the first half in possession and chances, the Trojans always posed a threat in the second half with one of the premier set-piece takers in the league in Rashell Diaz on their roster.

“Rashell is one of the great technicians in MCAL,” Schwerin said. “She’s got a special left foot. Any time she’s on the ball for restarts it’s a concern for me as a coach – especially when she’s got the inswinger coming in from corners.”

Diaz was presented with that exact opportunity in the 55th minute and curled in a corner that rattled the near post.

Diaz took a free kick from just outside the 18-yard box in the 80th minute, forcing MC goalie Finn Seymore to parry the ball over her crossbar for a corner kick. Diaz struck the near post again with the ensuing corner.

Around the county

• Ally Hsieh opened the scoring and Hailey Sellers found the back of the net twice for Branson in a 4-1 win against Archie Williams in the other MCAL first-round playoff game on Tuesday. Whitney Collet had a trio of assists for the Bulls (17-4-2) while Catrin Howell added a goal and an assist. Branson faces Redwood (11-2-5) in the semifinals on Thursday. The Peregrine Falcons (5-6-5) cut the lead to 3-1 in the 50th minute on a penalty kick taken by Mari Rode.
• Top-seeded Marin Academy needed overtime to see off No. 4 Lick-Wilmerding 1-0 in the Bay Counties League West semifinals on Tuesday. Sadie Goodenough scored an unassisted goal to send MA (17-1-1) into Friday’s final. The Wildcats face No. 2 Urban (12-5-0) at 5:15 p.m. Friday at Beach Chalet #1 in San Francisco for the title. Urban defeated University 3-1 in Tuesday’s other semifinal.