Forslund finds way back to Peninsula

But don’t feel bad for Forslund. He stayed in the game. He spent the 2017-18 season as an assistant on Peter Diepenbrock’s staff at Palo Alto. He would have stayed with the Vikings if Diepenbrock didn’t decide to retire.

Set free again, Forslund moved on to a program where he found his greatest heights. He spent the 2018-19 season as an assistant with Riordan, where he was head coach from 1998 to 2007, winning four Central Coast Section titles and appearing in a total of six CCS finals in 10 seasons.

But he found his influence wasn’t appreciated in his second go-around with the Crusaders and found himself on the move again.

His next stop took him across the Bay to Orinda, where he served as an assistant coach at Miramonte, where he found some stability. He worked with the Matadors for three seasons with head coach Chris Lavdiotis, from 2019 to 2022. Forslund got to know Lavdiotis when he was coaching at Piedmont High School in the Oakland Hills and joined him when he took over Miramonte.

Those Matadors teams went a combined 50-24 with Forslund on staff.

But the commute from his Montara home through the winding roads of the East Bay hills proved to be too much and he started to look for his next stop.

He found one much closer to home and with someone with whom he had a previous relationship. He and Batory had both been assistants on that Palo Alto team during the 2017-18 campaign and when Batory took over the Menlo program prior to last season, he asked Forslund if he wanted to serve on his staff.

Forslund said he was already committed to Miramonte for the 2021-22 season, but took Batory up on his offer for this season. The Knights are just 3-6 this season and are currently on a New York road trip, where Batory cut his coaching teeth after growing up in upstate New York.

The Knights may have only three wins, but they have played a rugged schedule that includes the likes of East Bay power San Ramon Valley, San Francisco’s best public school program Lincoln and CCS powers Menlo-Atherton and Sacred Heart Prep.

One of the most confident coaches you will find anywhere, Forslund said he is content serving in an assistant capacity where all he has to do is coach — he doesn’t have to deal with administrative processes, or with parents. He says he’s not really interested in being a head coach again, but given his success and his ambition, don’t be surprised to see him in the head coach’s chair again.

It just won’t be in the immediate future.

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They may still be several years away from high school, but keep an eye out on Belmont girls’ soccer players in the coming years.

Belmont’s AYSO U10 girls’ soccer team, the Golden Eagles, accomplished something no Belmont team has done in recent memory — medal at the Section 2 tournament, where Belmont finished fourth amid the early December storms.

AYSO — or American Youth Soccer Organization — is rec-league level play, where any child can join with guaranteed playing time. Belmont qualified for the Section 2 tournament after a third-pace finish at the Area 2 tournament, which featured teams from Belmont, Burlingame, Half Moon Bay, Hillsborough, Menlo Park, Portola Valley, Redwood City, San Carlos and San Mateo.

Belmont opened the Area 2 tournament with a 2-1 win over Half Moon Bay-1 and followed that with a 1-0 win over Half Moon Bay-2 to qualify for the final four.

The Golden Eagles suffered their first loss of the tournament, dropping a 2-0 decision to eventual Area 2 champion Burlingame. Belmont then lost a 1-0 game to Hillsborough in the consolation final.

It was still good enough to get Belmont an invitation to the Section 2 tournament, which encompasses teams from Northern California, Northern Nevada, Oregon and Washington — a section that has more than 40,000 players.

The Golden Eagles opened section play with a 1-0 win over the Blue Angels of Capay Valley, but they dropped a 2-0 decision to the Pink Panthers of Mountain View, which went on to win the tournament. The loss sent Belmont to the consolation finals, where they came up short against the Burlingame Hurricanes, 3-0.

Nathan Mollat can be reached by email: nathan@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: 344-5200 ext. 117. To report scores or tips, email sports@smdailyjournal.com.