Girls soccer: Marin Academy’s season ends at semifinal stage

The game almost didn’t get to penalties as University High’s Ofeibea Dah got behind Marin Academy’s back line in the dying embers of overtime during the North Coast Section Division II semifinal on Friday.

MA goalie Aggie Robinson waited near her line as Dah got closer and closer to the goal but picked the right time to make herself big, preserving her shutout at 0-0 and forcing the game into a penalty shootout.

Robinson came up with a save on University’s second penalty to temporarily give host MA a lead in the shootout but the Red Devils responded with three straight makes and secured the win after prevailing 4-3 on spot kicks.

“I felt like we came out starting in the second half with a lot more energy and I thought we were putting a ton of pressure on their defense and creating looks,” MA coach Sarah Rafanelli said. “Just having opportunities like getting great crosses off but no one’s on the back post and so close but not quite there. It’s soccer. It’s so hard to score. I thought we did a good job creating chances and we just couldn’t convert. You hate to see a game end in PKs but that’s what happens if you can’t convert.”

MA (16-3-2), the No. 2 seed, had created the lion’s share of chances in the final 15 minutes of regulation and throughout the two 10-minute overtime periods. Sophomore Reese Goodenough was the creator of many of those chances, notably forcing a tough save from University goalie Liv Anschutz in the 66th minute.

Goodenough created another good chance following a pass from Reese Hanna in the 75th minute, making a great move to her left on the edge of the box to carve out enough room to shoot back across goal. The shot went just wide.

MA got the ball in dangerous areas on multiple occasions late in the second overtime but were denied each time by the No. 6 Red Devils (14-7-2). MA almost got caught out in the final minute of the game when Dah got behind the defense and dribbled deep into the box before Robinson came out for what was essentially a point-blank save.

The Wildcats initially took a 2-1 lead in the shootout after successful spot kicks from Blythe DeGooyer and Sam Bergholt. Robinson saved University’s ensuing kick to cement MA’s advantage going into the third round of kicks.

But Anschutz responded immediately with a save of her own and University got back on level terms when Dah blasted her kick into the back of the net, giving Robinson no chance to stop it.

Dah, a sophomore, had been University’s most dangerous attacker throughout the game and the task of slowing her down fell to MA left back Julie Fulton.

Dah had perhaps University’s best chance of regulation right before the half, getting into a one-on-one situation with Fulton just inside the box. Fulton, MA’s last line of defense other than Robinson at that point, came up with the crucial play to end the threat then came up with a similar play to deny Dah again in the second half.

“(Fulton is) a senior and just shows a lot of maturity out on the field and is composed and has great soccer IQ and great field vision,” Rafanelli said. “I thought she did a great job marking up (Dah) who has such a weapon in her speed and Julie played her very well and was able to stop a lot of those opportunities.”

University, MA’s arch-rival in the Bay Counties League West, knocked the Wildcats out of the section playoffs one result shy of securing a spot in next week’s NorCal playoffs. In D-II, both finalists automatically qualify but Tuesday’s results left both No. 1 Branson – which fell 1-0 to Sonoma Academy – and No. 2 Marin Academy on the outside looking in instead of facing each other for the title with NorCal spots wrapped up this weekend.

“We played really hard and so did they and obviously everything is on the line because it’s a win-to-continue game,” Rafanelli said. “They did a good job of preventing us of getting on the end of all those chances we were creating.”

Sonoma Academy 1, Branson 0

The Bulls conceded with just under 10 minutes to go and were unable to find a late equalizer, falling in the D-II semifinals on Tuesday. The No. 1 Bulls (22-2-2) saw their season come to an end one result shy of both the D-II final and an automatic spot in next week’s NorCal playoffs.

Branson had defeated No. 4 Sonoma Academy (14-4-2) earlier in the season with Sophie Arnal scoring in a 1-0 victory on Jan. 30.

Marin Catholic 4, Alhambra 0

Nora Snearly scored twice to lead the Wildcats past the Bulldogs on Tuesday and into the D-III final. Top-seeded MC (8-7-5) held a two-goal lead at the half and advanced to Saturday’s final. The Wildcats will host the title game at 7 p.m. against either No. 2 Analy or No. 6 Livermore.

Ava Korich and Katie McConneloug also scored against the No. 4 Bulldogs. Siena White, Savannah Browne, and Catlin Haynor had the assists. MC’s defense, led by goalkeeper Julianna Sokolov, defenders Browne, Brooklyn Blackman, Lexi Ferguson, and Joanie Caraluggio, kept their third consecutive clean sheet of the NCS playoffs.