Soccer: Girls reach CCS semifinals for the first time in over two decades

The lead came early for the Falcons in their Division II CCS semifinal game against Menlo on March 2, but it didn’t last.

Early in the contest, senior co-captain and striker Lauren Plesse made a clean pass to senior Kimberly Chen, who scored into the upper right corner of the net on a shot from the 18-yard box. The crowd, sitting in the stands of neutral venue Westmont, roared in response.

After a half-time break and several missed shots on goal in the second half, the two teams battled with a surge of energy and excitement as the clock ticked down to the last 15 minutes of the game. But in the last moments of the match, Menlo striker Cleo King managed to steal the ball, netting an equalizer and leaving the near-victorious Falcons stunned.

Going into overtime, the Falcon girls took the field with intense belief and focus. Just as the game, tied at 1-1, appeared to be going into penalty kicks in the last couple of minutes of the OT, Menlo’s Hunter MacDonald scored the game winner off a cross ball. After the Falcons’ last-minute corner kick was cleared by the Menlo defense, the girls’ hopes of making the CCS finals for the first time since 1984 were dashed. Menlo went on to win the Division II championship on March 5 against Sacred Heart Prep.

“We all left it on the field and we knew that we didn't deserve to lose that game,” senior goalkeeper and co-captain Isa Berardo said. “We played our hearts out and when you have a group of people who are willing to fight until the very end, that's when history is made.”

A brilliant season, ending with a devastating last-minute winner from Menlo, witnessed the height of the girls’ soccer team in over two decades. A combination of Berardo’s strong goalkeeping, Plesse and Kimberly Chen’s striker duo and a brick-wall defense led by senior fullback Kaitlyn Chen and freshman fullback Sasha Pickard were keys to an unforgettable year.

“I think the dynamics of the girls off the field is the best it has ever been,” Plesse said. “We all respect each other which translates into how we play on the field.”

In the earlier stages of CCS, the Falcons played Santa Cruz for a resounding quarterfinal victory of 4-0 on Feb. 27. A brace from Plesse, direct goal from a corner kick by Kimberly Chen and a fourth from junior Emily Chen secured the match for the triumphant Falcons. Sophomore midfielder Chloe McGhee assisted two and Kimberly Chen the third.

In the first round of CCS, the girls defeated Notre Dame-Salinas 2-1 in an away game on Feb. 24. A frustrating, goalless first half witnessed numerous chances for the team, which had several shots barely cleared off the goal line by the Notre Dame defenders. The second half opened with a penalty goal for Notre Dame; less than five minutes after, Plesse equalized after making a daring run through the center of the field. A cross by Kimberly Chen and finish by Emily Chen produced the winning goal.

“We were outstanding. Very rarely do you create 20 chances to score, but only score two goals,” head coach Ben Maxwell said. “On another night we could have won the game by 10 goals, but we had the resilience and fight to push through and win the game. That was the most important thing.”

The girls grabbed third place in the upper De Anza league — recording their highest league rank in years and guaranteeing a spot in CCS — just above fierce rivals Los Gatos.

On their senior night game on Feb. 17, the girls battled in the heavy downpour against Los Gatos, triumphantly defeating them 2-0 with both goals scored in the first half. Outplaying the Wildcats’ defense, Kimberly Chen scored the first, with an assist by Plesse. Kaitlyn Chen, poised just outside of the box during a corner kick from Kimberly Chen, struck the ball into the bottom corner of the net for the team’s second goal.

“The senior night game was just awesome,” Kimberly Chen said. “It wasn’t our best performance, but it was what we needed to get third in the league, something we haven’t done in years.”

Against Santa Clara away on Feb. 12, the Falcons tied 2-2, with a goal from Pickard in the first half and a penalty from Kaitlyn Chen in the last ten minutes of the second. Earlier, on Feb. 10, the girls lost 1-0 at home to Palo Alto after putting up a good performance; though the opponents were missing their star player due to an injury, the Falcons failed to convert any chances to goal.

Though this season marks the end of high school soccer for eight seniors, the memories and accomplishments of an incredible run in league and CCS will last forever.

“I never felt this close with a team for high school ever,” Kaitlyn Chen said. “The chemistry and how close we got as a team made this season really special.”