Manteca’s girls soccer team will get another shot at Oakdale after the third-seeded Buffaloes outlasted No. 6 Christian Brothers of Sacramento 4-2 in the second round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III playoffs Wednesday at Sierra High.
The Valley Oak League co-champions will reunite Friday for a semifinal at Oakdale, which is responsible for Manteca’s only two losses of the season.
The Buffaloes (23-2-3) first had to fend off Christian Brothers (9-5-5), getting two key goals from freshman Kailee Jackson.
“That’s a really good team, we just stepped up and played one of our best games of the season,” Manteca coach Justin Coeneneberg said. “We’re excited with the way we’re playing, and I feel like we’re peaking at the right time.”
Jackson jump started the Buffaloes with an early goal and later gave them some needed breathing room with the final tally.
Joanna Roa made the final pass that helped Jackson put away the first goal just 25 seconds into the match.
That got the Falcons’ attention, as they responded with a high press and eventually knotted the score.
Manteca recaptured the lead in the 33rd minute, when Roa put away a penalty kick earned after Alexia Alva was fouled in the 18-yard box.
Early in the second half, Sienna Jones increased the margin with a headed goal on Makayla Spencer’s corner-kick cross.
Christian Brothers standout Bailey Rakela kept her team in the game with a long-distance goal. Jackson ended the threat by capping her brace, beating multiple defenders off the dribble before booting over the keeper.
Haylie Brasil had another big effort in Manteca’s goal, finishing with six saves.
Manteca’s semifinal is scheduled to start at 6 on Friday. No. 2 Oakdale (17-6-3) edged out seventh-seeded Ponderosa 1-0 in its quarterfinal.
DIVISION IV
Ripon 2, Lincoln 1
Seeded sixth, the Indians (16-8-1) traveled to Placer County and came away with an upset victory. Their reward for knocking off Lincoln (10-4-1) is a semifinal home match, thanks to No. 7 Placer’s 1-0 upset of No. 2 Twelve Bridges.
Madelyn Reedy converted a late penalty kick for the deciding score. Olivia Maragos drew the foul leading to the PK.
Kaitlyn Espinola scored Ripon’s first goal in the 14th minute, getting the final touch on the ball after a corner kick.
Goalie Ellena Parenti-Gomez had what coach Bryce Perkins, called “one of her best games,” as she came through for “six spectacular saves.”
Ripon hosts Placer on Friday night starting at 6.
DIVISION VI
Ripon Christian 2, Bradshaw Christian 1
Battle-tested Bradshaw Christian (6-13-1) of Sacramento was no easy out for the top-seeded Knights (21-3-1), who are on their way to their first SJS championship game since winning the Division VII title in 2015.
The No. 4 Pride scored soon after the opening kickoff of the second half to cut a two-goal deficit in half but was denied by RC goalkeeper Tara Heida and her defense the rest of the way.
Dayna Koolhaas got the Knights on board in the 17tth minute, cutting in from the left wing for a shot from outside the 18-yard box.
They doubled the advantage near the end of the half, capitalizing on a corner-kick opportunity in which the Bradshaw Christian goalie had two big saves. A poor clearance kept Ripon Christian’s threat alive, however, as JV call-up Paige Van Hofwegan connected for a stunning one-time volley over the keeper.
The Knights will face No. 2 Stone Ridge Christian (19-3-2) for the championship on Saturday at Cosumnes River College in Sacramento. Stone Ridge is the reigning champion of the bracket, defeating RC 3-1 in the semifinals last year.
The two teams reunited at the start of this season, with Ripon Christian rolling, 4-0.
