CIF Soccer: Bishop Amat wins in sudden death, 2-1; Ayala romps 4-0; San Dimas in final with 3-1 win; Claremont (1-0) and Baldwin Park (2-1) win sudden death thrillers too

Note: Will post stories on other games in the morning along with the CIF finals schedule.
By Fred J. Robledo
As cruel as last year’s CIF-Southern Section divisional semifinal loss was for the Bishop Amat high school girls soccer team, redemption came in the sweetest and dramatic of ways.
Granite Hills, on the other hand, will have a tough time forgetting it.
After Bishop Amat’s April Juarez scored just minutes from her team being eliminated on one of the best finishes you’ll ever see, Miranda Joya’s shot in sudden-death overtime ricocheted off a Granite Hills defender and snuck in, giving Bishop Amat a come-from-behind 2-1 victory in the Division 3 semifinals on Tuesday, sending the Lancers (26-1) to their first championship ever. (To continue click thread)

Check out the video capturing Amat’s victory celebration with interviews with coach Ruben Gonzalez and Joya.

CIF-SS Girls Soccer
Today’s semifinals
Division 3

Ayala 4, Santa Maria Righetti 0
Bishop Amat 2, Granite Hills 1 sudden death OT
Division 6
San Dimas 3, Hemet 1 — San Dimas takes down Hemet, advances to division final

CIF-SS Boys Soccer
Tuesday’s semifinals
Division 2

Claremont 1, M.L. King 0 — Hodge comes through for Claremont in double OT
Division 4
El Rancho 1, Ganesha 0 — Lara helps El Rancho end Ganesha’s season
Division 5
Baldwin Park 2, Animo Leadership 1

Ganesha-El Rancho photo gallery.


“It happened so fast, I’m not sure how it happened,” an emotional Joya said afterward.
It’s that never-stop-fighting mentality that impresses Lancers coach
Ruben Gonzalez.
“That’s why we put her out there,” Gonzalez said of Joya. “she never stops working.”
Bishop Amat will face Ayala, a 4-0 winner over Santa Maria Righetti in Friday or Saturday’s championship at a site and location to be determined Wednesday morning. Ayala is the only team to defeat Bishop Amat, winning 6-2 in an early December encounter.
Granite Hills peppered Amat in the first half, out-shooting them 9-3, finally scoring just seconds before the halftime whistle when Cassandra Alozie re-directed a cross in front to put the Eagles up 1-0 in the 40th.
Although Amat settled in better in the second half and starting creating chances, Granite Hills was still more dangerous, sending two shots off the crossbar that could have double or tripled its lead.
As the game wore on the Eagles laid back and try to hold on for the victory, then Juarez came to the rescue.
Defender Jesse Gener sent a long desperation pass forward that hung in the air with Juarez and an Eagles defender on a dead chase.
Juarez got their first, cradling it out of the air and in one motion stopped, cut to shake her defender and finished off the side netting to level it, 1-1.
It was the first goal Granite Hills (24-5-1) surrendered in the
playoffs and Juarez’s 40th of the season.
“With April, we know what type of class player she is,” Gonzalez said. “She was (lumbering) out there, she’s been kind of injured but she gutted it out.”
In the second sudden death, The Eagles almost scored the game-winner
a minute before Amat won it.
Rayana Speight, dangerous all afternoon with her long throw-ins,
hurled a throw across the goal area that was headed backward toward Ashlenn
Bradbury, camping at the back post unmarked. But Bradbury couldn’t get a clean header on frame, missing from five-yards out with an open net.
“Unfortunately, 30 seconds before (Amat’s goal) could have been our
championship moment and we would have been the ones celebrating,” Granite
Hills coach Michael Bradbury said. “It’s a tough way to lose. We made some
strategic moves late in the game to drop back defenders and they scored with
two minutes left to tie it. It happens. It’s tough losing this way, but it
happens.”
Gonzalez offered his thoughts on a rematch with Ayala in the
final. Amat missed several starters in the first meeting.
“Our girls talked about getting them again,” Gonzalez said. “When we lost 6-2 they were wishing they would have another opportunity to see them again. Now, it’s not just in the playoffs, but it’s in a championship game.”

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