Seaside to face North Salinas for boys DIV title
Nothing better than celebrating on your field, in front of family and friends — regardless of the frigid temperatures, gusts of wind and occasional rain.
It has been 25 years since Seaside played for a Central Coast Section divisional boys soccer title. Emotions spilled out as the team raced to the field to celebrate its 5-0 win Wednesday over Silver Creek of San Jose in the Division IV semifinals.
Seaside, which established a new single-season school record for wins with 19, will face top seed North Salinas — 1-0 winners over Menlo — on Saturday at a site yet to be determined.
The winner will earn an automatic invitation to the CIF State tournament, which is slated to begin Tuesday.
“Right now I'm just trying to enjoy the ticket to the championship game,” Seaside coach Servando Perez said. “I'm very happy and proud of the team's performance. We're going to take this evening to celebrate and enjoy the moment.”
Seaside will be facing North Salinas for the first time since falling to them 4-0 in 2017, when both teams were members of the old Monterey Bay League's Pacific Division.
The last time the Spartans reached the section title game, the Mission Division runner-ups fell 2-1 to Palo Alto in the Division II finals in 1998.
During its current four-game winning streak, Seaside (19-42) has outscored opponents 194, including 8-1 in two postseason games.
“Records are made to be broken,” Perez said. “We have a special team that has all the talent and skills to make history. We will treat the championship game like another game. We love to compete.”
David Garcia produced a pair of goals for Seaside, with Haziel Vasquez collecting a goal and an assist. Angel Lomeli continued his masterful passing, finishing with two assists.
“I'm really excited to be a part of this group and to have the opportunity to achieve something great with them,” Lomeli said. “We fell short last year in the semifinals. Now we have a chance to bring a title to my city.”
Daniel Avendano and Justin Quiroz also scored goals for the Spartans, with Darvin Reyes being credited with an assist. Goalie Andrew Chavarrin recorded his sixth shutout of the season.
“We will celebrate tonight, but we'll get back to work these next couple of days,” said Lomeli, whose brother Issac plays at San Jose State. “We want to make this something unforgettable.”
Living up to its top seed billing, the Vikings are going to the section title game for the first time since 1996, when Hall of Fame San Jose Earthquake defender and current Monterey Bay F.C. coach Ramiro Corrales was a player.
“We had a lot of alumni and ex-coaches out to watch,” North Salinas coach Jesus Gomez said. “It felt like a family reunion. We played more as a team instead of individuals. That's what really brought it home.”
The win provided a little redemption for Gomez and North Salinas (12-5-5), which fell at Menlo 3-1 in the 2019 CCS Division II semifinals.
NORTH SALINAS 1, MENLO 0 >>
“Our defense was phenomenal tonight,” said Gomez, who is in his eighth season at North Salinas. “The defense behaved well today. The conditions were challenging. Menlo was a big physical team.”
Senior Francisco Ramos broke up a scoreless battle with 15 minutes left in regulation when he scored on an assist from Sebastian Rubio. Goalie Emmanuel Tena made a handful of stops to record the shutout.
The Vikings, who went 1-3-2 down the stretch in the Gabilan Division after a 4-2-0 start, have not allowed a goal in the postseason, and have posted 12 shutouts on the season.
“I haven't seen Seaside this year,” Gomez said. “I know a lot of their players play on the Monterey County Condors traveling team. So they're a talented squad.”
ALISAL 4, MITTY 1 >> The top-seeded Trojans are one step closer to their first CCS title since 2013 after knocking off No. 4 Mitty of San Jose in the Open Division semifinals.
Alisal (18-1-3), will face No. 7 seed Mountain View (14-2-5) — 2-0 winners over Sacred Heart Prep — on Saturday at Santa Clara University.
The Gabilan Division champions have already secured a spot in the CIF State playoffs. Alisal became the first team in the county to win at Northern California Division II title in 2018.
The Trojans, who have not suffered a loss since Dec. 8, will go into the title game riding a 20game unbeaten streak.
Alisal erased a 1-0 first half deficit, using a pair of goals from Henry Perez in the second half. Miguel Zuniga and Joe Vasquez also scored goals.
Girls
SOLEDAD 4, CARMEL 0 >> The Aztecs are headed to their first-ever CCS divisional title game after blanking Carmel for the second time in 21 days in the Division IV semifinals.
Seeded No. 2 in the tournament, Soledad will face Hollister — 2-1 winners over Alvarez — Saturday at a site to be determined, riding a five-game winning streak, improving to 15-5-1.
“I'm proud of everyone on the team,” said junior forward Sophia Martel, who had a goal and two assists. “It's a team effort that has brought us here. I'm excited to be making history for Soledad.”
Having split their two Mission Division games this year with Carmel, the Aztecs won the past two — both at home — by a combined score of 10-0.
“Soledad played a very good game,” Carmel coach Steve Russell said. “It was able to finish what we weren't able to clear out.”
Carmel, which is on break this week, played the game without three starters.
“You have to play with what you have,” said Russell, who has 10 seniors on his roster. “Playing on grass slows the game down as well.”
All four goals for Soledad came in the first half, with Martel adding to her record total, producing the 106th of her career. In three games against Carmel (15-5-5), Martel has produced five goals and two assists.
“She does not quit until she puts it in,” Russell said. “She just scores. This is a balanced league. She is fast and has a nose for the ball. There wasn't anything I could do defensively. She's a game changer.”
Giselle Zepeda added two goals and an assist for Soledad, while
Myrin Amilpa finished with a goal. Goalie Mariana Leon was credited with 14 saves in the crease.
“Our passing has gotten better,” Martel said. “We need others to contribute to keep this season going.”
The `Balers are going to the Division IV finals for the first time, beating top-seeded Alvarez for the second time in 17 days.
Hollister (12-7-3) will face Soledad on Saturday, with the winner advancing to the CIF State tournament, slated to begin Tuesday.
The two teams split their headto-head meetings in the Gabilan Division, with Hollister posting a 1-0 win on Feb. 3 over the Eagles. The Balers are 4-1-1 in their last six matches. Alvarez finished the season 12-6-1.
HOLLISTER 2, ALVAREZ 1 >> RANCHO SAN JUAN 3, SILVER CREEK 1 >>
The Trailblazers are going to their first section title game in any sport after defusing Silver Creek of San Jose in the Division III semifinals.
Seeded No. 1, the Mission Division champions will face the No. 3 Wilcox on Saturday. Rancho San Juan will go into the title game riding an 11-game unbeaten streak, improving to 16-3-2.
“These girls are true trailblazers, already building a legacy at a new school,” Rancho San Juan coach Lisa Lark said. “They are working so hard and grow stronger every game. We have set the tone for the future of our soccer program.”
Rancho San Juan, which has outscored opponents 62-20 this year, got goals from Cadence Walters, Kaitlyn Francis and Natalee Morales. Valeria Razo-Gomez was credited with an assist, while Glendy Torres recorded nine saves in goals.