SAN DIEGO — You don’t get to any Open Division championship by luck.
It’s a combination of skills, leadership and not panicking when things don’t go your way, as they particularly do in soccer.
In Saturday’s boys and girls top level championship doubleheader at Mission Bay, both winning teams — St. Augustine and San Marcos — took that last trait to heart.
In the opener, St. Augustine went down a goal to undefeated Del Norte early in the second half, earned the equalizer, then won 3-1 in penalty kicks to earn its third consecutive CIF Open Division championship.
“I think you saw we didn’t panic,” Saints coach Brendan Johnston said about his team after going down 1-0. “You take your hat off on a shot like that. The great thing about our group is we’re an incredibly gritty and resilient team that knows how to win. You have to be able to take whatever opportunity the game offers you. That’s what you have to do.”
After tying it in the 71st minute and then holding off a barrage of scoring chances, No. 2 seed Saints (17-4-1) used their veteran leadership when it mattered most. Three players took penalty kicks and buried all three. Goalkeeper Archie Gonzalez made three diving saves to secure the win.
“It’s all about their eyes,” Gonzalez said. “They try to trick you with their eyes, but I know some of those guys and I know what they can do.”
The Nighthawks were nine minutes away from their first Open Division championship when Saints caught the defense off guard. Luke Weinpet dribbled in from the right side after a short corner and sent a laser across the goal to streaking center back Emiliano Postlethwaite, who buried it for the equalizer.
“When we went down 1-0, we got together and we just believed,” said Postlethwaite, the Saints captain and Western League Player of the Year. “We knew we had it in us. We never stopped believing. Luke is really good at driving the ball right to the middle so you always have to be ready to get that goal.”
A scoreless overtime led to penalty kicks.
Del Norte went first and Gonzalez made a diving save on Kai Wheeler’s shot. Postlethwaite buried it in the lower right corner to put Saints up 1-0. Next for Del Norte came Aria Toursavadkouhi, who tied it 1-1. Santiago Postlethwaite chipped in to make it 2-1 Saints.
Gonzalez made another diving save on Paulo Medeiros’ attempt while Weinpel went lower left corner for the 3-1 lead.
Gonzalez made one more diving save against Jalen Concepcion for the championship.
In the second game, top-seeded San Marcos’ girls were three minutes away from losing when they got a goal from the only sophomore on the team to tie it, and then executed a perfect corner kick by seniors Sophia Zboyan and Ava Paolini six minutes into overtime to beat Bonita Vista, 2-1.
“It’s every kid on the team no matter what,” said coach Alex Ramirez after his first career Open Division title. “We’ve faced a little adversity down the stretch, and somehow these kids battle back every single time. I’m so proud of them.”
The Barons (12-6-2) had a free kick from 30 yards out that got defended in front of the goal, which set up a counterattack for the Knights (18-4-3). Sierra McClellan fed sophomore Lola Puccio in front of the goal for the equalizer in the 87th minute.
“I think the best thing when you’re down is to have more energy and motivation,” McClellan said. “I drive the line all day. It’s just the same play I do over and over again. I have faith in our team and our forwards that we’re going to put pressure in the box. I’m super proud of Lola especially being down.”
That set up the second extra-time game of the day.
Zboyan served a perfect ball from the left corner to Paolini, who was set up in front of the goal.
“It happened in the game before against Westview,” Paolini said of the 2-1 OT semifinal win. “I had confidence going into this set piece knowing that we were going to do something with it. It was really cool that I was able to put it away with the team.”
Said Zboyan: “I know we’re aggressive in the box. I know we’re going to get to it. I know regardless of where I put it, someone’s going to get their head on it. Someone’s going to make a play and someone’s going to make it happen.”
Bonita Vista got a flicked goal off the side of senior midfielder Alena Ramirez’s foot on a long ball from Sofia Nunez in the 52nd minute as the seventh-seeded Barons took the lead.
The Knights lost leading scorer Josie Willis in the 38th minute with a right ankle injury. Ramirez made a tactical switch then made another move 14 minutes later when down 1-0.
He knew his senior-heavy team could adjust without skipping a beat.
“That’s the type of team we are,” McClellan said. “We face adversity head on, and I’m really proud of us.”
