Patrick Henry’s girls soccer program ranks among the best in San Diego County when it comes to scoring, averaging just over two goals per match this season.
And in their biggest game of the year, the Patriots’ attack yet again rose to the occasion Wednesday on the way to a 2-1 CIF San Diego Section Division 1 semifinal victory over Mater Dei Catholic. Henry advances to Saturday’s championship game, where it’ll take on Mt. Carmel at 4 p.m. at Bonita Vista High School. Mt. Carmel beat Mission Hills 3-1 in Wednesday’s other semifinal.
“We got hot at the right time,” Patrick Henry coach Jason Renfro said. “We always knew we had a solid team and a special senior class, and you saw tonight how well a strong senior class can carry your team.”
The Patriots wasted little time jumping out in front. In the 22nd minute, after drawing a foul, junior Zoe Wehrman sent a free kick from 26 yards out towards the right post. The found the feet of a cutting Breanna Ivie who buried a shot into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead.
“That’s something we have worked on all year. We’ve been practicing and practicing, and the muscle memory is just there,” Renfro said. “We had put an emphasis on those crosses, finishing, and where you’re supposed to be in the box, and it worked.”
Henry’s relentless pursuit continued in the second half.
In the 60th, the Patriots netted a much-needed second goal. Naima Castro made an excellent run along the near sideline and drove to the corner before sending a low into the middle of the box to Briahna Gieger, who finished into the bottom left corner to extend the lead to 2-0.
“It was a great goal,” Renfro said. “Those two girls play club together, so there is a connection there. That was an important goal for us, even though there was plenty of game left.”
Over the match’s final 10 minutes, Mater Dei pushed its players forward and fired off a pair of quality looks in the 71st and 72nd minutes, which included a shot that rattled the far post by Leila Magana. Mater Dei pulled to within 2-1 thanks to a long goal by Crusaders captain Brayla Schoen in the 77th.
Even with the late-game scare, Patrick Henry’s backline, led by Abby Weiss and keeper Zoe Claisse, held off the Crusaders to secure the win.
“I’m proud of our defense,” Renfro said. “I think those tough early-season games we played and our play in the Western League helped set us up for tonight. We got one more game now, so we’ll see what happens.”
