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.