In a clash worthy of a championship stage, the Los Gatos High School girls soccer team outlasted perennial power St. Francis on Feb. 27, capturing the Central Coast Section Division I title in a bruising, edge-of-your-seat battle that went the distance at Santa Clara University’s Stevens Stadium.
The matchup between the powerhouse programs Wildcats and Lancers delivered on every promise—hard tackles, relentless pressure and end-to-end action—with neither side yielding through 80 minutes of regulation followed by 20 minutes of overtime and an estimated 10 minutes of stoppage time.
When it finally came down to penalty kicks, the Wildcats held their nerve, converting under pressure and sealing a victory that will be remembered as one of the best in program history. They prevailed 4-3 in the PK shootout, after neither team could score in 100-plus minutes of action.
“We knew it was going to be a tough one,” Wildcats coach Lisa Mitchell said. “We knew it was going to be a battle. The defenses played great, the goalies played great, so for it to go to PKs was just one of those things that happen when great teams are battling it out.”
Los Gatos (18-1-3) received the No. 3 seed in the CIF State Championships and plays host to No. 6 Vacaville (21-1-2) on March 3 at 5pm. In winning the premier division in the CCS tournament, the Wildcats avenged their only defeat of the season, a 3-1 loss to St. Francis in the second game of the season in early December.
“It has been a dream season if you want to call it that,” Mitchell said. “From the first game, I thought we progressed, developed and got better as the season went on. The girls got comfortable relying on one another more and more. From the preseason all the way up to now, it’s been a fun ride.”
In a white-knuckle contest pitting the two best teams in the CCS, both sides imposed their will at times—pressing the action, winning the second ball and producing attacks in the attacking third. It was a matchup that wound up being as good as advertised.
Beating St. Francis is a feat in itself; doing it in the CCS championship match borders on otherworldly. The Lancers entered the playoffs as the three-time Open/Division I champions, and were making their fifth consecutive title-game appearance.
St. Francis entered the contest ranked No. 1 in the CCS, No. 2 in the state and No. 21 nationally, according to Max Preps. Los Gatos came in No. 2 in the CCS, No. 11 in the state and No. 47 nationally. The Lancers extended their shutout streak to 14 games and have outscored opponents 66-7 this season, while Los Gatos has outscored its opponents by a 119-18 margin.
Neither team has any discernible weaknesses, which made this a battle of attrition. Los Gatos received solid play from every position. Whether it was Ale Munneke, Abby Nelson and Isabella Cain up top, or Madi Harrington providing physical play in the midfield, or Avery Edson, Teagan Kaefer and Mariana Nanez providing a calming presence in the backline, the Wildcats were fortified with talent all over the field.
Los Gatos had two prime scoring opportunities in the middle of the first half, the first coming when Darcy Armstrong unleashed a shot on a goal that produced a rebound attempt from Harrington, who missed wide in the 23rd minute. Minutes earlier, Nelson had a clean look from just inside the left corner of the box, but the ball sailed over the crossbar.
Wildcats goalkeeper Cora Bryant had to be on top of her game against a St. Francis squad that created a handful of dangerous scoring chances. Bryant made a couple of game-changing saves, the first coming in the 48th minute and the second occurring in regulation stoppage time when the Lancers put a ball on frame that resulted in a scrum in the penalty area.
After what seemed like an eternity, Bryant eventually smothered the ball to quell the threat. Los Gatos immediately countered, working the ball downfield and earning a corner kick. The resulting corner was a perfectly-placed ball that Los Gatos made first—and second—contact on, the ball seemingly crossing the end line. The referee blew the whistle, and the Los Gatos bench erupted, thinking it had scored.
Alas, the whistle was for the conclusion of regulation. When it came to PKs, the Wildcats were ready. According to Bryant, the team had been practicing PKs for the last two weeks, in the likely event that one of its matches would end up going to the shootout.
“We did them almost every practice for the last two weeks, so I got used to my teams taking PKs on me and they got used to hitting it off me,” she said. “So it really helped.”
Of that, there is no doubt. In the shootout, the first two players from St. Francis and Los Gatos both converted easily, all to the left side. When the Lancers’ third player came up to shoot, Bryant lunged to her right, guessing right to make the diving save. Moments later, Leighton Ozawa calmly converted her PK, putting the Wildcats in control.
The fourth player in line from each team scored, which meant the Lancers’ fifth player had to score to keep St. Francis alive. But the shot went wide right, setting off a wild Los Gatos celebration. Bryant looked right in her element during PKs; in fact, things were probably more anxiety-inducing during the regular flow of play.
“It was definitely stressful and you can see both teams getting really tired as the game went on,” she said. “We knew we had to put in a lot of fight, and we did that.”
Bryant has shown plenty of grit and perseverance during her prep career. After being sidelined last season due to a torn hip flexor, Bryant has established herself as one of the best goalkeepers in the Bay Area. Two years ago, the Wildcats won the CCS Division III championship before being promoted to the SCVAL De Anza Division for the following season.
They won the De Anza title last year but suffered an opening-round loss in the D1 playoffs. This season, the Wildcats can lay claim as the section’s best.
“It’s a really good feeling to go from winning D3 to D1,” Bryant said.
The match was also a full-circle moment for Mitchell (formerly Nanez), who is a LGHS and Santa Clara University graduate. Mitchell set school records at LGHS and later helped lead the Broncos to three Final Four appearances. After the game, Mitchell chatted with U.S. soccer legend Brandi Chastain. The two were teammates on the now defunct San Jose CyberRays pro women’s soccer team, and have played the game at the highest levels. While Chastain’s place in soccer history is well documented, Mitchell’s accomplishments are noteworthy as well, as she played for Mexico in the 1999 Women’s World Cup.
“When I was going to Santa Clara, Brandi was one of my coaches,” Mitchell said. “I’ve known her for quite some time and she’s been a special friend, mentor and obviously role model to me. We come to basketball games, soccer games, but as far as being on the field like that, this is probably the first time since my playing days.”
With composure, creativity, and an unshakable belief in one another, Los Gatos showcased the kind of brilliant soccer that reflects months—check that, years—of training. Guided by a homegrown coach—Mitchell has been at Fisher Middle School since 2005 as a P.E. teacher and athletic director—the Wildcats played with discipline and flair in a championship run that they hope to extend to a CIF State championship.
