Girls soccer: Redwood, Branson battle to a 1-1 draw

The two programs that have met in most of the MCAL title games since the pandemic continued their rivalry as Branson traveled to Redwood on Wednesday.

Nothing was decided on this day as Lily O’Shea’s 58th-minute goal put the Giants in front only for Giselle Hernandez to pull the Bulls level in the 71st minute of a 1-1 draw.

“We knew it was going to be a tight game,” Branson coach Tyler Gottschalk said. “Regardless of what Redwood’s record is, they’re always a quality team. They are so hard to score on. They’re perennial winners. They know how to win.”

Branson (11-1-2, 2-0-1 MCAL) had the edge in possession and play for the first 20 minutes then Redwood (4-3-4, 1-0-2) grew into the game as the half went on. The best chance of the half fell to Branson’s Julia Myerberg, who hit a strong shot on target but right at Redwood goalie Evie Dickerson.

Redwood started the second half brightly and created its best chance of the game to that point in the 42nd minute when Caitlin Titcombe played a diagonal ball out wide to Lauren Ellington, who put a good shot on target that was stopped by Branson goalie Charlotte Houser.

The deadlock was broken in the 58th minute when Zoe Clark made a run down the right side of the side and sent a cross through Branson’s box. The ball took a touch off Titcombe, who was stationed centrally, and continued out wide to the left where O’Shea was waiting for it.

“I’m pretty sure their outside back got some sort of touch on it but it was just a slight graze and I just tried to get as much contact with the ball as I could,” O’Shea said. “I shot it, hoped for the best, and it went in.”

Branson almost answered immediately as Myerberg got the ball into a dangerous area and fired a powerful shot on target that ricocheted off a Redwood defender and out for a corner kick.

“Julia is the engine and did a lot of the creative work and most of our counterattacks started with her driving forward on the ball and trying to pick out a pass,” Gottschalk said.

Branson’s move for the equalizer began when Tait Anderson, who had shifted from left back to right back, won the ball around midfield then made a strong forward run down the right side of the field. Anderson picked out Cat Howell drifting left in the center of the field outside the 18-yard box.

Hernandez made a run into open space on the left side of the field and Howell played a weighted ball into that space for Hernandez to run on to.

“I saw Tait playing it to Cat and I saw I was wide open and there was a big gap between the center back and the right back and I decided to go for it,” Hernandez said. “I saw Cat making the run. I knew she was going to pass it to me. I ran and I was hoping to get to the ball and I did. It went underneath the goalie’s legs, I believe.”

Howell’s pass was well disguised, giving neither Dickinson nor any of her defenders to get to the ball before Hernandez did.

“We knew it was going to take something special to beat Evie and that back line and there it was,” Gottschalk said. “That was a fantastic play all the way round for Tait to find Cat, for Cat to weight a pass like that into Giselle’s path, and for Giselle to time her run like she did and beat Evie, who was closing her down quickly. It was a great finish and a really good goal.”

Branson had a chance to take all three points after Myerberg was fouled just outside the far right corner of Redwood’s 18-yard box, winning her team a free kick in a very dangerous area in the final seconds. Myerberg took the free kick herself, sending a ball towards Redwood’s back post but Dickerson was there to collect it and end the game.

Around the county

• Lily-Rose Espinasse and CeCi Murdoch scored goals as Tam picked up a 2-0 victory against San Marin (7-3-3, 1-1-1) on Wednesday. Lauren Willard and Lila Campbell assisted for the Red-tailed Hawks (3-6-3, 1-0-1). Tam coach Dave Presher said he was pleased with the progress being made by his center-back pairing of Campbell and Olivia Smith.
• Marin Catholic moved into a tie for first place with Branson on seven points following a 3-0 win against Archie Williams (4-7-0, 0-3-0) on Wednesday. Nora Snearly assisted on the first goal and scored the third to lead MC (3-3-3, 2-0-1). Lana Wihlborg and Kate Batdorf scored goals for MC while Claire Hunnewell had a pair of assists.
• Seven different players found the back of the net for Terra Linda, led by Mila Pastor who scored the final two goals, in an 8-0 victory against Novato (1-6-1, 0-2-0) on Wednesday. Allie Marovich, Sienna Economou, Isabelle Rosetti, Nina Iyer, Mia McConnell, and Kaitlin Cifuentes also scored for TL (6-5-3, 1-1-1). Iyer assisted each of the first three goals for TL. Economou, McConnell, and Cifuentes also had assists.
• Marin Academy (7-2-2, 2-0-2 BCL West) extended its unbeaten streak to five games following a 0-0 tie against league rival University on Wednesday.
• The scoring drought continued for San Domenico (4-4-0, 0-3-0 BCL) in Wednesday’s 6-0 road loss to Urban. The Panthers, who haven’t scored in their past three games, are scheduled to host Lick-Wilmerding on Friday.