Boys soccer: Tam tops Terra Linda on penalties in section final

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Tamalpais celebrates their victory over Terra Linda with the championship banner after the NCS Division III boys soccer championship game at Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley, Calif. on Mar. 1, 2025. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Marin Independent Journal)

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Players on the Tam High boys soccer team is used to taking their penalty kicks under some pretty intense pressure, whether its during a playoff game or just at the end of practice.

“When we get into playoffs, we practice penalties and there are real stakes,” Tam’s Nate Wanger said. “If you miss a penalty (coach Shane Kennedy) will say ‘Oh, I don’t think you’re on pens any more.’ If you can live up to the pressure there you get used to it and you get used to putting the ball in a difficult place for the keeper.”

All four of Tam’s penalty takers – Noah Pedersen, Marco Caruso, Wanger, and Luke Nurney – proved adept at putting their kicks in right spots. Pederson, Caruso, and Wanger all slotted theirs into the left corner then Nurney tucked his just inside the right post as host Tam prevailed against Terra Linda 4-1 on penalties in the North Coast Section Division III title game on Saturday.

“We put a lot of pressure on the kids,” Kennedy said. “If they miss they’re out of the lineup so they’ve got to earn their way in or earn their way out. We try and practice as best you can. There’s nothing that duplicates it. I’m super proud of the way they handled that.”

The game was tied at 1-1 after regulation and both overtimes with No. 4 Tam (12-6-4) scoring in the 65th minute and No. 6 TL (10-8-2) equalizing in the 70th.

The Red-tailed Hawks went first in the shootout with Pedersen and Caruso staking them to an early 2-0 lead. Tam goalie Sam Clark, who earlier made a crucial save at the end of regulation to get Tam into overtime, made another big play to stop TL’s second spot kick.

Clark guessed correctly, diving to his right, but had to reach up high with his left arm to parry the shot off his crossbar. The ball bounced straight down and Clark recovered in time to prevent it from crossing the line, keeping the score 2-0.

“You can kind of tell where people are going to go based on their run-ups and stuff like that so I was pretty confident I was going the right way,” said Clark, a senior who is committed to playing for Navy next season. “He put it pretty high so I managed to get my hand up. I honestly thought it was in. I think it hit the crossbar. I looked over and I guess the (assistant referee) didn’t think it was in.”

Two successful spot kicks later and the Red-tailed Hawks were celebrating their first section title since the program won back-to-back Division I titles in the fall of 2012 and 2013. Those teams featured all-MCAL players Julien Melendez, Tesfaye Payne, Teddy Mauze, and Lucas Janetos.

“I was looking back at the photos from that (2013) game last night,” Pedersen said. “It means a lot. We’re etched into history. This is something I’ve been working for since the start of my varsity career. Sophomore year, I lost the MCAL final to TL so this is kind of a full-circle moment for me. I was just really happy at the win. It means so much.”

In addition to scoring Tam’s first penalty, Pedersen also assisted on Tam’s first goal. The Red-tailed Hawks had edges in both possession and chances for the first 60 minutes but had nothing to show for it. Pedersen took a corner kick in the 65th minute, driving it into the box where Jack Millette was waiting to head it home for a 1-0 lead.

Tam’s joy was short lived, however, as TL equalized five minutes later. Reid Brandt took a long throw-in and center back Cole Greene went up high for a header at the near post to tie the game at 1-1.

TL almost secured the win in second-half stoppage time as Johan Cifuentes got behind the defense and sent a shot toward the far post on what amounted to the last kick of regulation.

“Oh, it was going home,” Kennedy said of Cifuentes’ shot.

Clark reached down low with his left hand and did just enough to guide it outside of his post.

“The big thing with goalkeeping is you have one or two moments in big games like this,” Clark said. “You either do your job or you don’t and that can change the course of the game. I was just able to do my job in that instance – I came out, was big, I think I tipped it with my left hand around the post.”

Tam and TL were both already guaranteed a spot in next week’s NorCal playoffs after winning semifinals on Tuesday. Tam is headed to NorCals for the first time. TL won a NorCal title in 2023 with a trio of Maldonados – Chris, Elvin, and Kleber – plus Roan Goertz and Liam Hadden. The seeding meeting takes place on Sunday.

Boys soccer: Tam tops Terra Linda on penalties in section final

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