LAKEPORT — Holle DePina”s direct kick with eight minutes remaining beat the Clear Lake Cardinals 1-0 in the quarterfinal round of the North Coast Section Division III girls” soccer playoffs on a rainy Saturday night at Don Owens Stadium in Lakeport.
The win sends the fifth-seeded Saints (12-3) into Wednesday”s semifinals against No. 1 Middletown (17-3) beginning at 7 p.m. at Middletown High School. No. 2 Sonoma Academy and No. 3 St. Vincent square off in the other semifinal Wednesday at 5 p.m. at Santa Rosa High School.
Locked in a 0-0 deadlock for 72 minutes, the game turned on a Clear Lake infraction in front of the penalty box.
While not a penalty kick, DePina”s game-winning goal was the next best thing, according to Clear Lake coach Paul Larrea.
“At the point on the field at which the penalty was called, it was almost like a penalty kick,” Larrea said.
DePina”s shot barely eluded Clear Lake”s Nadine Bradley and Savannah Dekeyer on its way toward the goal, where keeper Heather Werner couldn”t quite reach it.
“It was a nice shot,” Larrea said.
Clear Lake (17-5-2), the No. 4 playoff seed, did mount a threat in the final minutes, including a shot that ricocheted off the post.
“We certainly tried as hard as we could,” Larrea said.
It was the third meeting this season between the two teams and St. Helena”s second straight win at Lakeport. While splitting their two games with Clear Lake during North Central League I play, the Saints won 2-1 on Oct. 20, which cost the Cardinals a shot at winning the league title. Clear Lake ended up second in the standings behind Middletown while St. Helena finished third.
Outside of DePina”s shot, the game was a battle of defenses with both keepers ? Clear Lake”s Werner and St. Helena”s Desiree Traverso ? turning back all challenges.
“Heather played super and their goalie was lights out,” Larrea said.
Clear Lake defenders Kelcie Reynolds and Amely Ballesteros also turned in solid efforts while guarding DePina (Ballestoros) and St. Helena”s other primary scoring threat, Marina Spadaratto (Reynolds).
Playing in her final game for the Cardinals, senior defender Alyssa O”Donnell had her best game of the year, according to Larrea.
“It was a good game for Alyssa to go out on,” Larrea said.
Clear Lake had 10 shots on goal to only five for St. Helena.
The Cardinals” best scoring chances were shots by Bradley, including one that deflected off the post and another that hit the 90-degree corner of the frame before bouncing away.
“A little lower and it”s in the corner of the net,” Larrea said. “We executed our gameplan, we were just a little unlucky.”
Larrea said he had nothing but praise for his team”s effort.
“In the playoffs it”s the little things that turn the tide of the game,” he said. “At the end of the day if you”ve played as hard as you can and did all that you could do to win the game, then I can”t be unhappy with that.
“I am proud of these girls,” he added.
