The Live Oak girls soccer team began its fourth consecutive trip to CCS with a 2-0 win against host Sacred Heart Prep.
Live Oak (9-8-2) advances to meet Santa Cruz (12-2-5) at 2 p.m. Saturday at Aptos High. As for SHP (9-5-6), the season has ended.
Sacred Heart Prep (9-5-6) was disappointed to see its season end.
“When it comes to playoffs the records don’t really have much to do with the game that you’re playing. I think it comes down to who conducts a better game plan,” said Gators coach Ramiro Arredondo, “I think Live Oak capitalized on their goals. We had more shots, but they had three and scored two. We just couldn’t get the ball.”
The Gators had many opportunities and seemed to be controlling the game offensively. Arredondo gave credit to the Live Oak goalkeeper, Macey Linder.
“Their goalkeeper had a phenomenal game; hats off to her and to them. She made a phenomenal save on one of the shots that we had and then another great save on a corner kick.”
The momentum shifted when the Acorns scored in the last minute of the first half on a shot by Shannon Rauschnot.
“(Alissa Pham) threw in the ball and it went past everybody," Rauschnot said. "(Macey Dunne) got it on the other side of the goal and she took it. She was going towards the corner and I was like ‘Macey cross!’ She turned around this girl and then she sent it in. I was there and I kicked it into the goal.”
At half the Acorns led 1-0.
“I definitely think we stuck in there for awhile and kept battling hard,” said Gator junior midfielder/forward Alex Bourdillon. “I know we all wanted this so bad; to win this game at least. It’s always hard to come back from that. But we got a few chances. But I think we still worked really hard.”
Bourdillon was correct; her team was not able to come back from the deficit.
In the 68th minute freshman Sophie Barker made Live Oak’s second goal. “(Shannon Rauschnot) sent this beautiful ball and then (Alissa Pham) and I did a give and go, or a wall pass,” said Barker, “Then Alissa held off our defender and I took a shot.”
