NorCal Matchday #11: U15-U19 State Cup Finals

Most teams participating in NorCal Premier Soccer competitions have concluded their seasons by this point, however a select few remain alive with one more game: a State Cup final. This weekend at Cosumnes River College in Sacramento, 40 different divisions will be decided as teams look to lift one final trophy of the season. NorCal Matchday has previewed all the action in the State Division, the top level that NorCal offers, who’s winners will earn the right to call themselves the true State Cup champions.

Here are your games of the week:

U15 Girls State Division Final
5/31	California Odyssey		2-3		Solano Surf
Despite falling behind by two goals early to the defending State Division finalists in California Odyssey, Solano Surf scored three second half goals to cap a comeback performance of the ages and take home the U15 Girls State Division title with a 3-2 win. Just eight minutes in, Alyssa Patino put Odyssey up with a 30 yard strike before Aliyah Cuevas rounded the goalkeeper to finish in an empty net. However, Alivya Vojkufka and Dilynn Ferrucci hit back with two goals early in the second half. In the 61st minute, Mia Hite completed the comeback after she was sent through on a breakaway and finished at the far post to score the eventual game winner.

U15 Boys State Division Final
5/31	Folsom Lake Surf		3-4		Clovis Crossfire
This wild matchup initially seemed like a blowout as Clovis Crossfire couldn’t stop scoring early, but ended up going down to the wire even though Folsom Lake Surf had a player sent off while trailing by three goals in an eventual 4-3 win for Clovis. Surf were the first to break the deadlock, with Conner Zehnder scoring just nine minutes in but Crossfire struck back through Jorden Perez and Alex Villavicencio in the next five minutes. Just after halftime, Adam Villavicencio scored on a breakaway before Benjamin Rivas made it 4-1 in the 56th minute. Folsom then had a player sent off but rallied with a 70th minute strike from Evan Rangel and a 80th minute header from Mason Curtis. In stoppage time, Surf got onto the end of a set piece, but it was cleared off of the line by a Clovis defender, securing the 4-3 win for the Central Californian side.

U16 Boys State Division Final
5/31	Turlock Academica Jrs		2-2 (4-2 pks)		Albion SC Merced
For the second straight year, Turlock Academica Jrs claimed the State Division title, though this time it came down to the wire as they defeated Albion SC Merced 4-2 on penalties after playing to a 2-2 draw through regular time and overtime. Turlock were the first to strike with Isaac Ventura calmly converting a penalty in the 36th minute before Ventura doubled his side’s advantage 14 minutes later with a free kick goal from just outside of the box. While Academica appeared to be in control, Albion pulled a goal back in the 58th minute with Adrian Gonzalez scoring a free kick of his own to make it 2-1. With just six minutes left, Francisco Mendoza leveled the match by scoring with a toe poke on a breakaway. However, there would be no fairytale ending for Albion, who failed to hit the target on two of their four penalties, ensuring that Turlock would retain the State Division title.

U19 Boys State Division Final
6/1	TSP FC		1-4		Clovis Crossfire
This intense U19 Boys final featured a pair of braces from two different Clovis Crossfire players as the defending US Club Soccer National Cup champions defeated TSP FC via a 4-1 scoreline. Clovis got off to a fast start, scoring with a near post finish from Brayden Garcia just five minutes in, but that would prove the only goal of the first half. Just after the break, Crossfire won a pair of penalties that were both dispatched by Noah Naranjo before Garcia again hit the back of the net in the 68th minute. TSP did pull one back four minutes later as Enrique Lopez finished off a rebound, but that would be all the scoring that they could muster over 90 minutes.

U16 Girls State Division Final
6/1	San Juan South		4-0		Bay Area Surf
Despite playing on about 24 hours of rest as they had a semifinal matchup Saturday, San Juan South scored early and often against Bay Area Surf, scoring a complete 4-0 victory to lift the U16 Girls State Division title. It took just 11 minutes for Kailee Jackson to begin the festivities as she cut inside from the wing and hit the back of the net for the eventual winning goal of the game. Nine minutes later Makayla Spencer poked home a rebound to make it 2-0 before Peysha Hinnant scored in the 25th minute to increase the San Juan South lead. Sukhmandeep Sandu then converted a penalty three minutes from time to cap off the impressive win for the Stockton-based club.

U17 Boys State Division Final
6/1	Reno APEX		1-2		Albion SC Merced
A pair of Alan Avila strikes bookended this cagey affair as Albion SC Merced claimed a 2-1 victory over Reno APEX in the U17 Boys State Division final. The Central Californians came out the stronger side and Avila wasted no time with a far post finish in just the third minute of the match to give Albion a lead. However, Reno grew into the game and began enjoying a larger share of the possession while creating quality chances. They were rewarded in the 30th minute when an APEX player was pulled down in the box allowing Armando Medina Quiroz to slot home an equalizing penalty. Reno then began knocking on the door, sending waves forward for the next 60 minutes, only for Avila to find the winner in stoppage time, where he beat three APEX defenders en route to a sublime solo goal. That would be the last meaningful action of the contest as Reno failed to find another quality chance.

U17 Girls State Division Final
6/1	Mustang SC		6-2		California Odyssey
It may have taken Mustang SC 39 minutes to break the deadlock against California Odyssey, but once they did, they couldn’t stop scoring in an eventual 6-2 victory. Six minutes before halftime, Natalia Brunal latched onto the end of a deflection to score the opener, giving the Danville-based side a 1-0 lead going into the half. But in the 49th minute, the floodgates began to open as Stella Hamilton hit the back of the net before Elizabeth McKay scored just one minute later. Emma Seita was next to profit, finishing at the back post in the 64th minute before Audrey Lewis made it 5-0 eight minutes later. California did pull a pair of goals back late through Ella Lamonica and Megan Connolly, but Bryn Faulkner scored yet again for Mustang in the 90th minute in what was the last play of the game.

U19 Girls State Division Final
6/1	Mustang SC		2-0		San Juan South
All the scoring in this matchup occurred in the first 13 minutes of the game as Mustang SC cruised out to a two-goal lead in what was eventually a 2-0 victory against San Juan South in the U19 Girls State Division final. Inara Inesi hit the back of the net just three minutes into the match, scoring the eventual game winner as Mustang controlled the majority of play. Ten minutes later, a left footed strike into the lower corner from Abby Forsgren made it 2-0. From there, Mustang created the majority of the chances as San Juan South struggled to advance the ball into Mustang’s third. However, neither side could find another goal as Mustang cruised to the victory.