The MVHS boys soccer team clinched a berth in the semifinals of the CCS Division I playoffs with a 1-1 score after overtime and a 3-1 win in penalty kicks against Archbishop Mitty on Feb. 22.
This game was a rematch of last year’s CCS semifinals, where Mitty narrowly defeated MVHS 2-1 in extra time.
“I feel like we did great because all of us have been pretty banged up or sick this past couple of weeks,” senior goalkeeper Parker Lunn said. “So to come out and kind of grind this win out shows a lot about us and how connected this team is.”
The two teams were evenly matched throughout. The Spartans countered the Monarchs’ speed with quick passing and strong defense. The game remained scoreless for the entirety of regulation.
In the first period of extra time, the Monarchs played a corner low toward the edge of MVHS’s box before Mitty player Isaac Castillo buried a shot in the top left corner of the goal.
The Spartans returned for the second period of extra time, where they began pressing higher to attack Mitty’s goal. In the dying minutes of the match, a long throw from senior midfielder Niko Dekovic was flicked on by senior striker Akshay Chugh before junior defender Patrick McGuirk scored a goal over the head of the Monarch goalkeeper. This goal tied the game at 1-1, and sent the game into a penalty kick shootout.
MVHS senior forward Caddell Heatley scored the first penalty in the shootout before Mitty missed their first attmept. Senior midfielder Aidan Wong had his penalty saved, while the Monarchs converted their second, tying the shootout at 1-1. Senior forward Wesley Liu scored his, and Mitty hit the crossbar on their third attempt. Lunn stepped up to take the fourth and missed, but saved Mitty’s following shot to maintain the Spartan’s 2-1 lead. Finally, junior midfielder Cyrus Shafie scored the winning penalty before running off to celebrate with the crowd and his teammates.
“[McGuirk] came in clutch, and, you know, we’ve been practicing [penalty kicks] all week, so I’m glad it showed off,” Lunn said.
MVHS plays Everett Alvarez at home in the semifinals on Tuesday, Feb. 25.
“I mean, it’s another game next Tuesday,” McGuirk said. “I’m just happy to keep playing with this team because I’ve known some of the boys for nine years.”
