Buhach Colony girls open soccer playoffs with shutout victory to keep their special season alive.
The Buhach Colony High girls soccer team weren’t ready to end their season just yet. The Thunder want to keep playing as long as they can and they made that happen with a 2-0 victory over No. 10 Pioneer in the first round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III playoffs on Friday night at Thunder Stadium.
The seventh-seeded Thunder struck early with a goal from Emily Gallegos in the fifth minute of the match and Chisa Wood gave BC some breathing room late with a goal in the 75th minute for the 2-0 victory. Buhach Colony (17-7) advances to a second-round match on Monday against No. 2 Vista Del Lago, which defeated No. 15 Patterson 2-0 in the first round. The quarterfinal match will be at 6 p.m.
“This game meant everything to us,” said Buhach Colony coach Richard Howard, whose team shared the Central California Conference championship with El Capitan. “After being knocked out in the first round last year, this team has been incredibly determined all season to make a deep playoff run. You could feel that focus and urgency from the opening whistle. Getting this win gives us the momentum we were looking for.”
The sense of urgency was definitely apparent from the start as the Thunder attacked Pioneer early with scoring opportunities. Siana Ingram fired a shot on goal that hit off the crossbar and ricocheted into the middle of the penalty box. Shortly after Gallegos found the ball at her feet and was able to sail a shot into the net for the early 1-0 lead.
Pioneer put up a fight as the Patriots (10-9-2) definitely kep the pressure on the Thunder as they consistently looked to send the ball ahead to senior striker Maylina Ruiz for scoring opportunities. Ruiz just missed an equalizer in the 27th minute when she glanced a shot off the left post.
Meanwhile, Buhach Colony goalie Alyssa Silva came up big all night fending off a barrage of shots from all angles to record her 14th shutout of the season. “Alyssa Silva was outstanding,” Howard said. “She’s been battling a cold all week but never let that affect her preparation or performance. She came up big when we needed her most., defending several corner kicks and multiple free kicks in dangerous areas. Her composure and leadership were huge and earning another shutout means a lot to her.”
The Thunder don’t want their special season to end anytime soon. The team already made history by becoming the first team in program history to claim a CCC championship. “Moving on to the quarterfinals means a lot, but we’re staying grounded,” Howard said. “Our goal has always been to make a deep run, and we know that means staying focused and treating every match like it could be our last.”
Christian Brothers 3, El Capitan 2 – The No. 4 seeded Gauchos were upset when the No. 13 seeded Falcons overcame a 2-1 deficit in the second half. Evelynn Baeza and Adiya Moua scored goals for El Capitan, whose season ends with a 15-5 record and a co-CCC championship.
Shawn Jansen is the MUSHD Program Manager Digital Media. He can be reached at Sjansen@muhsd.org.