MIDDLETOWN — A slip on the grass is all that it took to end top-seeded Middletown”s run for the North Coast Section Division III girls” soccer championship as the Mustangs came up short 1-0 in overtime against the St. Helena Saints on a cold Wednesday night at Bill Foltmer Stadium in Middletown.
St. Helena, the No. 5 seed, moves into the Division III championship match Saturday night against St. Vincent, a 3-1 winner over No. 2 seed Sonoma Academy in Wednesday”s other semifinal match.
With 58 seconds left to play in the first 10-minute sudden-death overtime period, St. Helena played forward a long pass down the far wing that set fleet-footed midfielder Holle Depina off in hot pursuit of the ball with a trio of Mustangs close behind. As DePina moved toward the corner of the Middletown penalty box, Middletown keeper Ashley Lescher raced out to meet the threat and was a half-step away from the ball when it appeared she slipped on the turf.
In the scramble that followed, DePina was able to dribble the ball clear of Lescher before burying it into the net with a crossing shot to the far post.
“Hats off to Middletown,” St. Helena coach Marc Luelsdorf said. “They had us stymied the whole match.”
Middletown (17-4) had virtually neutralized the Saints (13-3) powerful scoring combo of striker Marina Spadarotto and sisters Marina and Holle Depina, limiting St. Helena”s opportunities to a half-dozen serious challenges, most of which were intercepted away from the goal by the Middletown defense until those last few seconds of overtime.
“We seemed to be one touch, one shot away (from scoring) the whole match,” Middletown coach Lee Hoage said. “We somehow always seem to lose in the semifinals.”
Middletown has now lost in the semifinals three years running.
Hoage had high praise for his team nonetheless. The Mustangs lost one of their top scorers, senior Brittany Cash, to a season-ending injury last month. Even so, they went on to win the North Central League I title, beating out Clear Lake and St. Helena in an airtight race.
“She (Cash) was such a big part of our offense,” Hoage said. “We had to get used to playing without her and that made us better.”
Hoage complimented the defensive work of Ashley Hart and Karina Vargas, who played a pivotal role on defense as well as initiating some of Middletown”s attacks against the Saints.
Middletown offered up 16 shots on goal during regulation play, including three corner opportunities, but Saints keeper Desi Traverso was up to the challenge each time. She had six notable saves during the games.
The Mustangs” best chance to score in the match came in the 31st minute of play on a one-on-one breakaway initiated by sophomore Hannah Diaz, but Traverso was able to deflect a line drive. After a wild scramble for the ball in front of the net, St. Helena was able to clear the ball.
“We take 20 or 30 minutes just to get into rhythm,” Luelsdorf said of the Saints” slow start. “You can”t do that against a team like Middletown.”
St. Helena beat Clear Lake by the same 1-0 score in a first-round match last weekend in Lakeport.
Middletown and St. Helena split their two earlier league meetings, each winning on the other”s home turf.
“A great season and great team,” Hoage said of Middletown”s accomplishments in 2011.
