Heartbreaker for Woodside

The Wildcats (11-6-3) leave a legacy of their own, a year removed from winning the Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division title and qualifying for the 2024-25 CCS Division I tournament. This year’s postseason run marked the program’s second Division II semifinal appearance over the last three years.

“We’re a real family, and we play for a legacy,” Woodside senior Evelyn Tolver said. “Here at Woodside, we have a legacy we have to live up to, and I feel like that drives most of us to be the best versions of ourselves and to give it all or nothing, and leave everything on the field.”

The Wildcats played up to that standard Wednesday, standing toe to toe with SHC’s physical brand of West Catholic Athletic League soccer.

For all of Woodside’s chances in Irish territory, though — and there were quite a few, especially through the first 20 minutes — the game came down to one SHC free kick in the 25th minute. The Irish drew a foul on the left side, and it seemed Woodside had benefitted from a 50-50 call with the foul occurring right on, or perhaps just over, the side boundary line of the penalty box.

That’s when senior Jami Gette stepped up to deliver her eighth goal of the season, and her third on free kicks, as she sailed the ball over three defenders and spun it off the fingertips of Woodside’s goalkeeper and in.

“We talk about it’s going to come down to a couple moments,” SHC head coach Jeff Wilson said. “And she took advantage of her moment. She had one early, and it’s been a while since she’s had an opportunity like that. And I’m glad she stepped up and took it.”

The buildup to Gette’s game-winner, however, was all on the opposite side of the field.

Woodside played fast and furious, with left winger Tolver fronting the attack. The senior’s foot speed speaks for itself — with her soccer season ending Wednesday, she’ll waste no time in reporting for track season Thursday as a 100-meter dash sprinter.

Tolver can play hard-nosed soccer as well, showcasing her toughness in the 11th minute by tangling with SHC junior center back Margaret Manuel near the end line to earn the Wildcats a corner kick. Senior Kaylie McKee’s look from the corner faded a little too long around the back post, but when the Irish attempted to clear it, senior defenseman Emma Downing picked it up from 35 yards away and boomed a shot that looked on target but curled just over the post.

“I feel like a lot of passing was happening in their half of the field,” Tolver said. “It was just not finishing it through. But I felt like we held our ground pretty well in their half of the field.”

From there, Woodside’s chances came like wildfire. In the 13th minute, Tolver took a vertical route into the box to draw out goalkeeper Jemma Schwind, and forced the freshman to leave her feet. Still, Schwind won the play with an airborne kick save.

In the 15th minute, Woodside sophomore Vivi Nieva fought through contact to win a 1-on-1 matchup to drive into the top tier. Nieva laid it off to McKee in deep, but the senior’s line was too tight to the end line, allowing Schwind a window to run in and cover.

Then in the 18th, freshman Ellie Sala received a through ball from Nieva, but turned into a crowd of defenders. SHC marked the freshman and tried to send the ball out, only for Downing to intercept yet again and arc a shot that looked to be on goal, but faded just off the right post.

“I think what we weren’t doing was just controlling our emotions,” Wilson said of SHC’s defense, which the fifth-year coach rectified by sending in a new shift to interrupt Woodside’s tempo. “And credit to Woodside. Woodside’s very good. ... There’s a reason why they’re here.”

Woodside’s one great chance in the second half waited until the 70th minute, when junior Piper Wollenberger-Oviedo got a step on her defender to control a through ball with a step into the box. The SHC defender seemed to give Wollenberger-Oviedo a good shove in the back, but a no-call saw play continue with the Woodside forward hitting the turf and the Irish defender chasing down the ball to clear it.

“I thought they played pretty physical, but we’ve definitely played more physical teams,” Tolver said. “They definitely were a lot handsier than I expected them to be.”

Woodside head coach Alex Herrera, though, agreed with the first-half foul call that set up SHC’s go-ahead free kick.

“It was one of those that the girl made a good move, and it was the right call, I think in that moment,” Herrera said. “It was just unfortunate that it happened in that spot.

“Regardless of that one play, I thought we had a lot more chances than they did throughout the whole game,” he said. “We just couldn’t put them away, unfortunately.”

SHC now advances to the Division II championship stage Saturday to take on No. 3 Salinas. Time and venue are to be determined.