Girls soccer: Terra Linda advances to first section final in program history

The Terra Linda High girls soccer team took to its home field on Wednesday knowing that a victory would secure passage into the first section final in program history.

The Trojans met that big moment with a composed performance, scoring a goal midway through the first half and limiting Rancho Cotate to a few half-chances en route to a 1-0 victory in the North Coast Section Division IV semifinals.

“It’s great for the program and really great for the girls because this season has been – we’ve had a little bit of everything this season,” TL coach Dylan Arroyo said. “We’ve had some injuries. We’ve had a lot of different players. We’ve got some young players, had some good leadership. So I’m just super proud of the girls to create this opportunity.”

The No. 2 Trojans (9-8-5) are set to face No. 4 Benicia — 3-1 upset winners against No. 1 El Cerrito — for the title on Saturday at a time and location to be determined.

“I’m so excited but honestly it’s just come down to everyone wanting it so bad and that’s kind of carried us through this entire NCS process,” TL right back Sammie Foley said.

The competitive equity model for NCS – a recent switch after decades of programs being placed in divisions based on school size – has provided some different avenues for postseason success.

TL’s accomplishments to this point mirror those of cross-town rival San Rafael last season. Those Bulldogs also worked their way through the D-IV bracket and into the first section semifinal and final in program history.

“These girls, all the experience you get playing in these games – competitive win-or-go-home games – especially having a lot of young players, it’s going to help build them for next season,” Arroyo said.

TL’s big moment came in the 24th minute and began when Sammie Foley lofted a cross toward the end line that Brooklyn O’Bryan was able to chase down and keep inbounds. O’Bryan evaded at least one defender then sent a cross into a dangerous area inside the 6-yard box.

“It was a very intense moment because we were close to scoring and I just give a lot of the credit to Brooklyn because she did all the work leading up to the goal,” TL’s Nina Iyer said.

O’Bryan’s cross was intended for Iyer, who made a run into the 6-yard box.

“I think that we channeled in on their mistakes,” Iyer said. “The goal went in off the other girl [a Rancho defender] so it was an own goal but I’m glad that I was there just to put pressure on the goalie.”

The end result of the play was a 1-0 lead for TL against the No. 3 Cougars (9-6-2).

TL momentarily appeared to go in front 2-0 when Sammie Foley looped in a high-arcing shot from distance — eerily similar to the goal she scored in an MCAL game against San Rafael this season. The ball rippled into the roof of the net, prompting the home crowd to start cheering, but the shot had gone just over the bar and not into the goal.

“I think it was right over the crossbar,” Sammie Foley said. “I’m always just trying to send balls and just hope that they can do something or have some sort of impact.”

Despite the magnitude of the game, TL remained composed and in control throughout. Rancho Cotate’s most dangerous moments weren’t shots as much as balls played into dangerous areas. The Cougars played a trio of long balls just into or around the edge of TL’s 18-yard box in the second half.

TL center back Remi David, who had just returned after battling an ankle injury for much of the season, dealt with the first ball in the 42nd minute. TL goalie JoJo Fetterman-Riggle had come to the edge of her box to try and collect the ball but a Rancho Cotate player seemed destined to win that race instead. David shielded the player off and managed to boot the ball out of bounds for a corner kick.

Fetterman-Riggle had no margin for error in the 48th minute when she came completely out of her box to make a clearance, just beating the attacker to the ball and sending the ball out of bounds.

Rancho Cotate produced one more moment in the 79th minute to force Fetterman-Riggle to leave her box on an attempted clearance. This time Rancho Cotate retained possession of the ball and had a look at an open goal but David cleared the ball out of bounds to end the Cougars’ last real threat.

“MCALs was definitely harder without (David) for sure but she’s just so core, especially as a center back,” Sammie Foley said. “She’s a hard worker. She’s a leader on our team. She communicates with us and overall just encourages us to play our best. I always feel like I have a good person over my shoulder just to tell me any advice or help me play my best.”

David – TL’s lone representative on the all-MCAL first team last season – limped off the field after appearing to re-injure her ankle in the final minute of stoppage time.