Skip to content
  • JSerra team celebrate Samantha Hobert's goal during the Lions' 2-1...

    JSerra team celebrate Samantha Hobert's goal during the Lions' 2-1 win in the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs at Huntington Beach. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • JSerra's Samantha Williams, top, Samantha Hobert, bottom left, and Niki...

    JSerra's Samantha Williams, top, Samantha Hobert, bottom left, and Niki Font celebrate after defeating Huntington Beach in the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs at Huntington Beach. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • From left, JSerra's Niki Font, Samantha Hobert, and Skylar Giacobetti...

    From left, JSerra's Niki Font, Samantha Hobert, and Skylar Giacobetti celebrate the 2-1 win over Huntington Beach in the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs at Huntington Beach. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Huntington Beach players show their disappointment after 2-1 loss to...

    Huntington Beach players show their disappointment after 2-1 loss to JSerra in the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs at Huntington Beach. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • JSerra's Isabella D'Aquila, top, tries to dribble past Huntington Beach...

    JSerra's Isabella D'Aquila, top, tries to dribble past Huntington Beach goalie Rachel Harris during the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs at Huntington Beach. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • JSerra's Isabella D'Aquila leaps to shoot past Huntington Beach's Katie...

    JSerra's Isabella D'Aquila leaps to shoot past Huntington Beach's Katie Martinez during the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs at Huntington Beach. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Huntington Beach goalie Rachel Harris, back, catches the ball over...

    Huntington Beach goalie Rachel Harris, back, catches the ball over JSerra's Isabella D'Aquila, left, and Samantha Harris during the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs at Huntington Beach. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • JSerra's Taylor Gosselin, left, and Huntington Beach's Kekoa Nelson fight...

    JSerra's Taylor Gosselin, left, and Huntington Beach's Kekoa Nelson fight for the ball during the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs at Huntington Beach. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • JSerra's Samantha Williams (16) and Huntington Beach goalie Rachel Harris...

    JSerra's Samantha Williams (16) and Huntington Beach goalie Rachel Harris fight for the ball during their CIF-SS Division 1 semifinal at Huntington Beach. The Lions held off the Oilers, 2-1, to reach the CIF final. Sports 10

  • JSerra's Samantha Harris, left, and Huntington Beach's Katie Martinez fight...

    JSerra's Samantha Harris, left, and Huntington Beach's Katie Martinez fight for the ball during the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs at Huntington Beach. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Huntington Beach's Xolani Hodel, front, wins a header over JSerra's...

    Huntington Beach's Xolani Hodel, front, wins a header over JSerra's Kendyll Fritts during the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs at Huntington Beach. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • JSerra's Samantha Williams, left, and Huntington Beach's Kekoa Nelson battle...

    JSerra's Samantha Williams, left, and Huntington Beach's Kekoa Nelson battle for the ball during the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs at Huntington Beach. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Huntington Beach's Alijah Oliver's pass hits JSerra's Samantha Hobert's face...

    Huntington Beach's Alijah Oliver's pass hits JSerra's Samantha Hobert's face during the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs at Huntington Beach. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • JSerra coach Greg Baker gives instructions to his players during...

    JSerra coach Greg Baker gives instructions to his players during the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs at Huntington Beach. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Huntington Beach players celebrate a goal by Huntington Beach's Cina...

    Huntington Beach players celebrate a goal by Huntington Beach's Cina Wilson during the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs against JSerra at Huntington Beach. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • JSerra players celebrate Samantha Hobert's goal during the semifinals of...

    JSerra players celebrate Samantha Hobert's goal during the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs at Huntington Beach. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Orange County Register/SCNG)

of

Expand
Author

HUNTINGTON BEACH – The first 40 minutes of Tuesday’s CIF-SS Division 1 girls soccer semifinal were air tight.

Then JSerra needed just two instants to spring loose early in the second half to undo Huntington Beach’s efforts.

JSerra got goals from Taylor Gosselin and Isabella D’Aquila and cleared away nearly every Huntington Beach advance to hold on to the win, 2-1, and move on to the program’s first CIF-SS final.

“When you’re down 2-0, it takes the psychological part and the emotion away from you,” Huntington Beach coach Raul Ruiz said. “We fought. We stayed with them. … But today unfortunately, it just didn’t happen.”

Top-seeded JSerra (18-1-3) will play Trinity League rival Mater Dei in the championship game Friday or Saturday. In league play, JSerra beat Mater Dei, 3-1, and clinched the league title over the Monarchs with a scoreless draw in the regular-season finale.

The Lions came out firing in the opening minutes with Huntington Beach keeper Rachel Harris putting up the wall that got the Oilers (20-7-4) through their past two shootout-win playoff games.

Harris made four saves in the first half with key early blocks from Brianna Barnes and Katie Martinez.

Huntington Beach came back with a quick succession of chances that JSerra goalie Kiana Solomon stepped in to neutralize with the help of a block by Rachel Bastone.

Huntington Beach played through numerous tight games this season including six league overtime games and two more in the playoffs. The Oilers were right where they wanted to be with the scoreless mark at halftime.

“We were very confident,” Ruiz said. “We weathered the storm. We just had to stay focused and disciplined. Unfortunately, that only lasted like three minute when they capitalized on that play.”

JSerra pushed forward to open the half as Samantha Williams put a cross around the aggressive play by Harris where Gosselin scored for the lead, 1-0.

Twelve minutes later, JSerra doubled up as Williams got the ball to D’Aquila, the county’s leading goal scorer, who put the ball past another hard charge by Harris to the two-goal lead.

As time ticked down, the Oilers threw everything forward but couldn’t get through JSerra’s back line.

Cina Wilson got Huntington Beach on the scoreboard in a final-minute scrum on a desperation lob forward by the Oilers, but it was all too late.

JSerra coach Greg Baker did not talk to the media after the game. He also did not allow his players to speak to reporters.