Division I girls
No. 4 San Ramon Valley 2, No. 2 Carondelet 1: It was just how San Ramon Valley drew it up, or maybe not.
With time running out in the second overtime Saturday night, Lauren Kealy sent a ball over the top toward Ella Beardslee, who somehow controlled the pass while being closely defended and dribbled into the box.
She then fired a shot with her right foot that caromed off the top of the cross bar, hit the ground and then bounced into the net for the championship-winning Golden Goal.
“Literally inches away from going either direction,” SRV coach Mark Jones said.
San Ramon Valley captured the North Coast Section Division I championship with a victory over East Bay Athletic League rival Carondelet at De La Salle.
The championship avenged last season’s 4-0 loss to Carondelet in the final and gave San Ramon Valley its first section title since 2016. The Wolves are now a nine-time NCS champion.
The score was 0-0 at halftime.
Samantha Walker scored to give Carondelet a 1-0 lead. SRV answered when KK Lonergan hit a long ball that went off the goalkeeper’s fingertips and into the net.
“We’ve been lucky to be in our share of finals,” Jones said. “But we lost last year to Carondelet. They’re always a great team. They’re just really difficult to control the ball against. They’re well-coached. We lost to them 1-0 during the season off a set piece.
“It was great for the program. We hadn’t won since ’16. We’ve been in some finals. Couldn’t get it done. Great bunch of girls. It was super exciting. So happy for these girls.” — Darren Sabedra
Division I boys
No. 6 Berkeley 1, No. 4 Dougherty Valley 0: The two best teams in the NCS’ top section refused to give an inch in the opening 80 minutes, neither team able to get one past the keeper.
But Dougherty finally cracked in the first overtime period when a defender fouled a Berkeley attacker in the box. Berkeley captain Marlow Buettner stepped up and smashed in the winning goal to give Berkeley all the offense it needed to win its fourth NCS Division I title.
“Dougherty Valley is a very good team and it was a match decided by the smallest of margins,” Berkeley coach Blaise Curet wrote to the Bay Area News Group.
It was another close win for the Yellowjackets, with the East Bay school winning each of its last five games either 1-0 or in penalty kicks.
Berkeley improved to 23-2-2 and will advance to NorCal play. — Joseph Dycus
Division II girls
No. 4 Tamalpais 2, No. 2 Las Lomas 1: The Knights lost for only the second time all season. They fell behind 2-0 before Reese Foster scored her seventh goal of the season on a penalty kick in the second half. Las Lomas (18-2-4) was trying to capture its second NCS girls soccer championship. It beat Bishop O’Dowd 2-1 in the 2016 D-II title match. — Mike Lefkow
Division II boys
No. 2 Las Lomas 3, No. 5 Maria Carrillo 1: Las Lomas scored all three goals in the first half, running its overall record to 21-2-2 and capturing its second NCS crown under coach Kurt Adkins.
The Knights also were section champs in 2020. Mason Lisi drew first blood with a goal about five minutes into the game, then Juan Pirajon scored to make it 2-0.
The visitors cut the lead to 2-1 when a Las Lomas defender accidentally sent the ball into the net, but Maverick Wilson got the two-goal advantage back with about five minutes left in the half.
“We got off to a good start and that was important because Maria Carrillo plays from behind very well,” Adkins said. “All during the playoffs they have found ways to win after falling behind.”
It was different on Saturday night. Maria Carrillo was aggressive in the second half, but Las Lomas, with 17 seniors on the roster, shut down the Pumas’ offense. Carrillo fell to 13-5-5.
Goalie Miki Derer, also a senior, played a big role with a couple of huge saves. The only defeats by Las Lomas this season occurred before the start of the new year. The Knights are 16-0-1 in their last 17 matches. — Mike Lefkow
Division III girls
No. 1 Miramonte 2 (5-4 PK’s), No. 2 Cardinal Newman 2: Miramonte captured its fifth NCS title and first since 2019 on Friday in a win over Cardinal Newman that went to penalty kicks. Madyson Yu and Sadie Leal Schuman scored Miramonte’s two goals in regulation before the Matadors out shot Cardinal Newman 5-4 in penalty kicks. Miramonte improved to 17-2-2. — Nathan Canilao
