In a hard fought game that saw the Warriors surrender a goal in the first half, the South San Francisco High School varsity girls’ soccer team prevailed in yet another dramatic overtime contest. This time it was against Capuchino High in the semi-finals of the Central Coast Section (CCS), division 2 playoffs.
“We’re 16-3-2 now,” said Warriors head coach Brian Mansell. “All three of our losses were by one goal and were all sort of like this game; we had the lead, and then we had our hearts broken, so it’s good to be on the other side of that.”
Senior Alexandra Arouxet-Jara scored two goals including the game winner in overtime, propelling the Warriors to their first finals appearance in recent years.
This was the second straight overtime victory for the Warriors, who managed to overcome a 2-0 deficit in the quarter finals to beat Sequoia High 3-2 on February 22.
In that game forward Iliana Sanchez, a senior, sparked a furious second half comeback that tied the game at 2-2 in regulation.
In overtime, Sanchez, the San Mateo Daily Journal’s Athlete of the Week, provided a pivotal assist that allowed junior midfielder Fatima Waldo-Garcia to deliver the game-winning shot.
“They don’t give up,” said Mansell. “They remain calm. They believe in themselves, and they fight to the very end, and they’ve done that all season, but particularly the last two games they’ve really showed their heart.”
According to Mansell, the team owes its historic run of success to the connections that were forged in elementary school when Warrior seniors Sanchez, Arouxet-Jara, defender Leilani Jara, midfielder Camellia Nasrah, and Megan Celillo played together for the San Bruno Lowen83 Tornados in the NorCal Premier soccer club.
“We have a good team,” Mansell said. “These girls were here before I got here, so they’ve had a lot of good coaching along the way and good coaching in the past. There’s a lot of people who have contributed to the success of these girls, and I’m just part of that. I’m grateful to get to work with them. It’s been a great experience.”
The championship match against Santa Cruz High will take place at Del Mar High School at 12:30 PM on February 29, 2020.