Dons stun top seed

After all, the Aragon High junior was stationed in the middle of the field and a good 40 yards away from the Los Gatos goal.

So what did McAuliffe do? She took the shot and buried it.

McAuliffe’s blast in the 31st minute was an unstoppable one, landing just under the top crossbar for the game’s only goal in the Dons’ 1-0 win in a Central Coast Section Division II semifinal on Thursday at Valley Christian. The No. 4 seed Dons (14-3-5) advance to their first-ever section championship game against No. 2 Presentation (17-4-2) at 10 a.m. Saturday at the same venue.  

"We’re jumping for joy,” McAuliffe said. "It feels so good to get to the finals because we still played our game even after we had some tough breaks early on.”

Indeed, the only thing more impressive about Aragon beating top-seeded Los Gatos (16-1-5) — and dealing the Wildcats their first and only loss of the season — was the fact that the Dons did it even after losing two starters in the opening five minutes of the contest.

Three minutes in Aragon defender Nicole Rodrick had to be carried off the field. One minute later, teammate and center midfielder Sarah Jacobs had to be helped off the field. Both players sustained leg injuries and didn’t return.

"We were all worried at first,” McAuliffe said. "It was kind of like, ‘Oh my gosh, now what are we going to do?’ But we knew we had to adjust.”

Amazingly, the transition was seamless. Dons coach Will Colglazier moved forward Rachel Bradley-Haas to stopper, which paid immediate dividends. Bradley-Haas probably touched the ball more than any player on the field. She spearheaded a backline that included sweeper Lizzy Maggi, Kristen Simms and sweeper Nicole Killigrew.

To say Aragon’s defense was stout would be a vast understatement. The Dons shut out a Los Gatos team that entered the contest having scored over 50 goals this season. Aragon knew it had to contain speedy Wildcat forwards Taylor Comeau and Brianne Medved, and that’s exactly what it did. Neither player was much of a factor. Although Comeau is a junior, she’s already committed to play at Cal.

"We knew we had to play them real tight,” Colglazier said. "I can’t say enough about our defense. You get a shutout against a team like Los Gatos is a testament to our players. Rachel Bradley-Haas played amazing for us.”

As did the entire Aragon team. Despite the early adversity, the Dons dominated the first half and were the ones who looked like the top seed, not Santa Clara Valley De Anza Division champion and previously undefeated Los Gatos. It wasn’t just McAuliffe’s cat-quick strike that told the story, it was the number of quality shots Aragon placed on the Los Gatos goal.

The Dons finished with a 11-8 shots on goal advantage and definitely had better scoring chances, nearly tallying a couple of other times. But all it needed was one goal, and it came from a player who is known for taking long shots — albeit, not from 42 yards away.

"No one expected her to take that shot,” Colglazier said.

"Stephanie (Woo) passed me the ball and since I was so far out, I figured the goalie would be off her line,” McAuliffe said. "This was great because we had a chance to beat another team’s undefeated record in Woodside but didn’t get it done. To have another chance against an undefeated team and win is a great feeling.”

On the score, Wildcats goalkeeper Heather Rouhler was actually in solid position to make the save, but she would’ve needed wings to stop this shot. McAuliffe’s shot not only had pace on it but it was perfectly placed, just over the outstretched arms of a leaping Rouhler.

In advancing to its first-ever title game, Aragon didn’t come through the back door — it took a battering ram through the front entrance. Los Gatos never put together a sustained attack; its shots came sporadically.

The Dons have had a number of impressive performances this season, but perhaps none on a bigger stage. They put together a number of nice combinations, passing crisply and being active all over the field. Forward Caity Winterbottom was a force on the flanks, as her superior speed and aggression created a number of scoring opportunities. Stevie Herrera was instrumental in the first half, making plays all over the field.

Aragon proved from the start of the season that it wasn’t going to be physically beat by anyone. Los Gatos is one of the more  physical teams in the section and both teams were banging at each other from the outset. But once again, the Dons held their own and then some.

"We pride ourselves on being physical,” Colglazier said.

Aragon has come so far in a short amount of time. To wit: The Dons didn’t even make the playoffs last season. But armed with a strong returning nucleus to go along with an influx of talented newcomers, Aragon has had a season to remember.

"After we beat S.I. (Saint Ignatius) on Saturday, we felt different,” Colglazier said. "We knew that we deserved to be here and we weren’t just glad to be here. This year we knew there was something special about this team.”

Special indeed.