ST. HELENA >> One of the few things first-year coach Eric Hoefler and the Kelseyville Knights didn’t do this season was the one thing they most needed to do on Wednesday night in the opening round of the North Coast Section Division III girls’ soccer playoffs … beat the St. Helena Saints.
St. Helena (9-5-3) had other ideas, shutting out Kelseyville 3-0 and earning a shot at No. 1 seed Sonoma Academy (16-1) in the quarterfinal round on Saturday at 2 p.m. in Santa Rosa.
Kelseyville lost to St. Helena 3-2 back on Sept. 22 in Kelseyville, the first of two league meetings between the two teams. The Knights tied the Saints 1-1 in the next meeting on Oct. 15 in St. Helena.
Under Hoefler’s leadership, Kelseyville finished third in the NCL I standings this season behind Middletown and St. Helena. The Knights (8-6-3) were making their first postseason appearance in more than a decade.
