Girls soccer: Marin Academy breaks through for first NorCal title
The stat that the Marin Academy girls soccer team has played in every final it could play in for four consecutive years was already impressive coming into Saturday’s NorCal Division III title game against Branson.
The Wildcats finally claimed the coveted blue winner’s medal following a 1-0 victory over the Bulls at San Rafael High.
“It feels so good especially because we lost to (Branson) in our freshman year on (penalty kicks),” said MA’s Cat Zola, scorer of the game’s only goal. “It just feels so good. We’re the first MA team to ever win NorCals for the girls and it’s just such a good last game as a senior. MA has been a dominant team for so many years and it feels good to have something to finally show it.”
Branson (23-2-4) has been MA’s foil in two of those previous three NorCal finals and defeated the Wildcats again in last week’s North Coast Section D-III final. MA (16-4-3) had a lot of history to overcome to finally taste victory at the highest level.
“It was fantastic,’ said Imogen Jenykn, who assisted on the goal. “I think especially losing twice to Branson earlier, even in the NCS finals, I think there was a lot of tension and maybe a little bit of fear. Obviously they’ve had a great season but we were ready. We came looking for a great season and I think we were so ready for this win. … We’ve been to every one of these (finals) possible and I think it was our time. It was our day.”
MA and Branson battled through 60 scoreless minutes before Marin Academy found the breakthrough. Jenkyn had the ball out wide on the right side of the field, took a touch and cut to the inside before crossing a ball toward Zola who was camped inside the six-yard box.
“That’s something we’ve done all season is playing those balls in and I got a lucky ball down the line,” Jenkyn said. “I had the time to take a touch, put it in left foot and Cat was there. She’s been great in the air all season and I think it just finally clicked and I’m so happy that did.”
Jenkyn’s ball got through to Zola who was able to get a touch on the ball and put it into the net before Branson goalie Patricia DePalma could get to her.
“It was great service and then I saw that the other defender wasn’t exactly in the right position to head it out,” Zola said. “I kind of anticipated that (the ball) would bounce weirdly so that’s what I was making the run for. Then it bounced and I saw Patricia coming out so I just tapped it by her.”
Chances had been sparse both ways prior to Zola’s goal. Branson had 20 minutes to try fashion an equalizer and at least force overtime. The Bulls have made a habit out of scoring late goals during this postseason run, taking out Tam in the MCAL playoffs and St. Ignatius on the NorCal playoffs with goals in the final minutes of regulation or overtime.
Branson carved out a couple of decent chances in the final 15 minutes. DePalma came up to take a free kick in the 69th minute, playing a ball down the line to Carly Lowe, whose shot went through the box and went wide left.
Perhaps Branson’s best chance to climb back into the game came in the 74th minute when striker Ally Hsieh made a dangerous run into the box then slotted a pass to her right for Riley Pearson. That chance also drifted wide and MA was able to exhale.
“It was awesome to get up (1-0) but there was also that sense of nervousness and anxiousness to get through the last 20 minutes and ultimately be able to win the game,” MA midfielder Chloe Swindle said. “(The Bulls are) obviously a super talented team and with Ally Hsieh up top, it was just really important for us to just get (the ball) out and keep playing our game.”
MA made a couple of lineup changes for the final that paid dividends. Zola moved up from her usual spot at center back and played up top. That move paid off when Zola scored the game’s only goal.
MA also moved Cameron Colpitts to holding midfielder and Kacy Walker to take Zola’s spot at center back – moves that helped the Wildcats limit Branson’s offensive opportunities.
“Moving Kacy to center back was a really smart move,” Branson coach Tyler Gottschalk said. “Kacy played great. We got no penetration on that side of the field.”