SAN JOSE - Sophomore Santa Andrade scored the game's only goal as Mitty defeated Menlo School, 1-0, in the CCS Division 2 final on Saturday night at Fremont High School. It was Andrade’s second goal of the season for the Monarchs, after scoring his first goal in the quarterfinal round of the section playoffs as he writes his name in Mitty history.
On a chilly Saturday night both teams were looking to replicate their schools female teams who both won section championships, Mitty winning the Open on Friday night and Menlo winning the Division 1 championship right before their boys team took the field.
Both teams had moments of nervousness when the game kicked off but the Monarchs quickly found their footing maintaining large chunks of possession, but it equated into few and far chances. Menlo indeed put the ball in the back of the net first towards the midway point of the first half on a corner kick, but multiple fouls occurred on the play against Menlo. Menlo star forward and captain Ben Lasky, while at moments showed his individual skill and flair, was mostly kept in check by the Monarch back line in particular Mitty senior Andre Thurmann.
Mitty found the front foot again in the second half but couldn’t find a break through, while Menlo looked dangerous every time there was a set piece. The pressure started to pile on Menlo when Mitty sophomore Noah Robertson had to leave the game due an injury which for a moment halted the Monarchs progression. It took a special moment from the Monarchs to break the deadlock off a corner kick in which senior Oscar Toulet found Andrade from the top of the box and his shot found the top corner and sent the Monarch contingent in the crowd crazy.
“All the results we’ve wanted this year haven’t gone our way.” said Mitty coach Cesar Sanchez. “All we wanted towards the end of the season was a chance to qualify and make the playoffs, and once we did we felt confident we could win. Credit to Menlo, they are a good team and made us work for it.”
It was Mitty’s sixth CCS championship and the third section championship for Sanchez as head coach. The Monarchs advance to the Norther California playoffs as the #7 seed in the Division 3 bracket where they will take on University (SF) on Tuesday afternoon. It is redemption for the Monarchs, who heart-breakingly failed to qualify for last years inaugural Northern California playoffs, when they lost their only game last season in the CCS Open Division quarterfinals.
