Top seed Archbishop Mitty scored three times in the first half against Palo Alto on Tuesday evening, overwhelming the Vikings 4-0 in the Central Coast Section Open Division semifinals.
Seniors Macy McHale, Hailey Smith, and Sophia Mendoza all scored goals for the Monarchs, as did sophomore Svea Neunfinger. Senior Paris Fox was also lethal with her distribution, registering a pair of assists in the win.
"I was very happy with the performance. We did everything we set out to do," said Mitty coach JT Hanley. "We knew the way they played, and knew what we wanted to do. I have to give a ton of credit to the girls for executing the game plan."
Having beaten Palo Alto 1-0 earlier in the season, the Monarchs kicked things up a notch in the rematch, both controlling the pace and keeping the Vikings from getting any good looks at the goal.
"I thought our defensive shape was outstanding," Hanley commented. "They only had three shots on goal, and none of them were dangerous. We went 20 players deep, and all of them played in great position and did a great job."
When Palo Alto did get a shot on goal, freshman keeper Amy Stineman was in position for the Monarchs, stopping all three shots.
Now, Mitty prepares for a title game rematch with Mountain View, who beat the Monarchs 3-1 in last year's championship. Mitty, however, is refusing to view the game through any lens other than the one focused on this Friday's game.
"The kids have been very professional in their entire approach. Our seniors have already made a point to say that Friday is not a rematch. These are two different teams now," Hanley added. "This date has been circled since the beginning of the year, but we don't think about any team other than the next one."
Mountain View rolls into final
Like Mitty, Mountain View cruised to a 4-0 semifinal victory, taking down Sobrato with three first half goals.
Nicole Bumgarner scored a brace for the Spartans, while Laura Carceroni and Sydney Arrillaga added individual goals for Mountain View. Lucy Tang had a pair of assists in the win, while junior keeper Renee Landa needed to make just one save in the win.
With the victory, Mountain View will now play in its fourth straight section title game. The Spartans won the 2015 Division I title, and have now appeared in three straight Open Division title games, having lost to Woodside in 2016 and beaten Mitty in last year's final.
Woodside battles back from halftime deficit
Woodside roared back from a one-goal halftime deficit, downing Los Gatos, 3-1, to reach the Division I final.
Los Gatos took a 1-0 lead into the break after a first-half goal from freshman Emily Nedom, but Woodside's defense turned the tide in the second half.
Woodside will face St. Francis in the title game on Saturday. The Lancers got a pair of goals from Emma Blackburn to beat Leigh, 2-0.
SHC, Terra Nova will meet for Division II title
Sacred Heart Cathedral and Terra Nova will play on Saturday for the Division II title, after each team posted an identical 2-0 win in the semifinals.
SHC blanked South San Francisco, while Terra Nova shutout Notre Dame-Belmont. The teams played to a 1-1 draw back on December 2.
