Soccer team advances to CIF semifinals
Mission College Prep Girls Soccer team moved past the CIF Quarterfinals finding themselves only two wins away from a CIF Section Championship
– The Mission College Prep Girls Soccer team won their second round CIF Playoff game versus the visiting Hawks from Liberty High School, sending them to the Semifinals to take on Bishop Union High School on Tuesday, Feb. 20.
The top sixteen girls soccer teams from Division IV in the CIF Central Section have been battling it out on the field over the past week. With teams from cities such as Fresno, Bakersfield, Santa Maria, Templeton, and San Luis Obispo the competition has been tough and each game has been tight, according to a press release from the school.
Mission Prep started bracket play on Tuesday, Feb. 13 by facing South High School from Bakersfield where they took home a 4-3 overtime win. Then on Thursday, Feb. 15 they faced Liberty High School in a physical eighty minute game where the Royals again won by a one goal margin, 2-1. Now, as one of only four teams left in the playoffs, Mission Prep is set to take the big stage.
“We knew we could play with any of the teams in the playoffs, but we understood we’d have to play our best soccer to advance,” said Team Captain Sophia Longman. “Each team has brought their best to us, our game against Liberty was proof that every team is playing to win.”
The Royals found themselves tied 0-0 at half time with Liberty, even though Mission Prep had controlled a majority of the game. “We knew we had to keep playing our game and trust the girls on the field to do what they’ve done all year,” said Head Coach Jake Morrison, and it worked. With twenty eight minutes left in the second half Junior Sarah Connors connected on a long pass with Sophomore Isabel Medeiros who headed in the ball to put the Royals up 1-0. Liberty scored to pull the teams even at 1-1, but with eleven minutes remaining in the game Sarah Connors took advantage of a long direct kick and buried it in the back of the net. Then the Mission Prep defense and goalie Ellie Foster-Adams carried the Royals to the final whistle and a 2-1 victory.
“We are very proud of how the girls played in both games this past week,” noted Morrison. “They were some of our hardest fought games of the season, and our girls showed they were ready to meet the challenge. We don’t depend on just one player like so many teams do, each girl on our team contributes every game, they’re all impact players, it’s so fun to watch their connections on the field. They don’t quit, they work hard, and play for the girl standing next to them, it’s special to watch.”
“Now in the Semifinals versus Bishop Union the competition will be tougher than ever,” said Longman. The CIF Central Section Division IV Semifinal game will be at Bishop Union High School who is undefeated this season. Longman noted, “It’s been a long time since a Mission Prep girls soccer team has made it this far, and we don’t have any plans on making Tuesday’s game our last. We have a special group of girls, and this team definitely has the skill and talent to bring home a CIF Championship.” If the Royals do hand the Broncos from Bishop Union their first loss of the year, they’ll play for the Division IV Championship on Friday, Feb. 23 at 6 p.m.
To learn more about Mission College Preparatory Catholic High School or the CIF Central Section visit www.missionprep.org or www.cifcs.org.
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