San Rafael’s double-overtime upset of top-seed and NBL-Redwood champion Piner highlighted a wild weekend of playoff boys soccer across the North Coast Section, as Max Diaz’s golden goal sent the ninth-seeded Bulldogs into next week’s Division III semifinals with a 1-0 victory.
After two scoreless halves in regulation and a scoreless overtime period, Touss Majidi found Diaz for the game-winner, as San Rafael continued to build momentum after knocking off Miramonte in the first-round and won its second road playoff game in as many attempts.
The Bulldogs are no stranger to upset victories, having beaten Terra Linda during the regular season, and they will be searching for another this coming Tuesday when they head to four-seed Ygnacio Valley, who edged De Anza 1-0 after rolling past Rancho Cotate in the first round.
A header by Alex Lopez in the 74th minute lifted the Warriors on Saturday night.
Division I roundup
Clayton Valley junior Isaac Morfin hit the equalizer in stoppage time of regulation, and the Eagles got the game-winner with under four minutes remaining in the second overtime to upset four-seed Vintage in the quarterfinals on Saturday night, 2-1.
Yahir Escalona had given Vintage a lead with his goal in the 68th minute, off an assist from Enrique Hernandez, but the Eagles were able to put pressure on the Crushers’ defense in the final minutes and create a late opportunity. Clayton Valley now advances to face top seed Montgomery.
Montgomery rolled past Monte Vista, 5-1, in the quarterfinal opposite the Clayton Valley victory, while De La Salle ousted BVAL champion Pittsburg, 2-1.
Ramiro Rosas’ goal in the 57th minute was the difference-maker for the Spartans after the Pirates had tied the game on a Angel Ramires penalty kick just six minutes earlier. Ben Parker had an early goal for De La Salle, scoring on a penalty kick in the first four minutes.
De La Salle will face six-seed Berkeley in the other semifinal, after the Yellowjackets ousted three-seed San Ramon Valley, 3-2. Gabriel Bracken Serra had a goal and an assist for Berkeley, while Kalani Kossa Rienza and Andres Alonso Franco each added individual goals.
Division II roundup
Top seed Las Lomas scored all of its goals in the second half to roll past Bishop O’Dowd, 3-0. The Knights will face 12-seed Newark Memorial in the semifinals, after the Cougars downed four-seed Vallejo for their second straight victory over a TCAL-Stone opponent after beating Bethel in the first round.
Newark Memorial got a pair of goals from senior Alfonso Sandoval in the 3-1 win over Vallejo, after he had a hat trick in the 4-1 win over Bethel. Junior Danny Santillan added a goal on Saturday for the Cougars.
Two-seed Redwood advanced with a 2-1 victory over Casa Grande, but the potential rematch with Tamalpais was thwarted when 11-seed Northgate eliminated the Red-Tailed Hawks with a 4-3 victory, the second straight one-goal upset victory for the Broncos, who beat Mt. Eden in the first round.
Division III roundup
In the half of the bracket opposite San Rafael and Ygnacio Valley, it was 10-seed Albany advancing on penalty kicks and eliminating two-seed Terra Linda, after the teams played to a 2-2 draw during regulation and both overtime periods.
Albany will face three-seed Acalanes in the semifinals, after the Dons blanked University 1-0.
Division IV roundup
Five-seed Urban pulled the only mild upset of this bracket on Saturday, as the Blues took down four-seed Marin Catholic, 2-0.
Urban will now face top-seed Cardinal Newman, which blanked Piedmont, 1-0.
The other semifinal will be an all-TCAL affair between Kennedy-Richmond and Saint Mary’s. Kennedy beat Branson, 2-1, while Saint Mary’s scored three times in the second half to overcome a halftime deficit and beat Lick-Wilmerding, 3-1.