Panthers fall short

Burlingame goalkeeper Sophia Young totaled eight saves, and got plenty of help from middle defensemen Allison Bradley and Courtney Koch. With the relentless Montgomery attack, it’s a testament to the Panthers’ defensive performance the Lady Vikings — a team that outscored opponents 21-1 through six playoff games — didn’t score plenty more.

“We played a really great game,” Bradley said. “We gave it our all but, in the end, they were the better team. Whatever the outcome is, we did really well and we still did really great this season. So, I’m proud of how far we came.”

After the Panthers finished in fifth place in the Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division standings — earning a Central Coast Section playoff berth by a mere half point — the team enjoyed the best postseason showing in program history. After capturing its third all-time CCS title in the Division III bracket, Burlingame earned its first-ever Nor Cal victories with wins at Mountain View and Acalanes.

“No one really expected this team to go very far, and we barely made CCS,” Burlingame midfielder Kerry Wakasa said. “So, it was incredible that we could make it this far. And we’re all happy. I mean, there are some tears, but they’re mostly sad because it’s their last game of senior year. We’re just happy that we made it this far.”

The 4 p.m. start in Santa Rosa wreaked havoc on the visibility of those facing the west goal. It was such a factor, Montgomery head coach Pat McDonald said he petitioned to have the start time moved to 6 p.m., but was denied.

With Burlingame winning the opening coin toss, head coach Phillip De Rosa opted to defend the east goal in the first half, leaving his premier defense looking right into the bright sun.

Montgomery (21-4) managed just one goal in the first half, a through ball to UCLA-bound senior Micky Rosenbaum in the 28th minute.

“They started out really strong and their speed of play was really fast,” Wakasa said. “At first we just couldn’t keep up with it. And we haven’t went against a team like this where they could move, and they knew where each other were. Sometimes they wouldn’t even look and then they passed it through and she was there. … They were just really good.”

As the sun began to set behind the west goal, Montgomery spent the second half sailing shot after shot on goal. Rosenbaum totaled two goals, upping the Vikings’ lead to 2-0 in the 56th minute. Bradley and Koch had staved off a chance right in front of the cage by pushing the ball out to the corner. But as the Panthers’ defenders converged, Montgomery sent it back across for Rosenbaum all alone at the top of the box to fire one inside the top right of the frame.

In the 68th minute, Montgomery senior Abria Brooker received a long free kick off the right post and socked it through traffic to up the lead to 3-0.

“I’ve got say, I think they were the hardest and best opponent we’ve ever gone up against,” Bradley said.

Burlingame managed just two shots on goal throughout, both late in the day while trailing 3-0.

The Vikings kept pressing and, in the 77th minute, enjoyed one series by hitting the post four times on three shots. The series started with an attempt by Noemi Monroy that spun off the near upright, up off the crossbar, and out. After a shot pinged off the left post, junior Yajahira Baragan took a chance from up top that Young fended off with an airborne leap, pushing the ball off the upright and over.

“Unbelievable saves,” McDonald said of Young’s performance. “There were two or three balls I thought for sure were in. We had one that was going upper post and we’re all just getting ready to celebrate, then her hand just appeared and pushed in over. MVP of the game, right there, for her.”

The Panthers earned their first corner kick in the 79th minute and nearly made it count. Jamie Callantine emerged from a pack right in front of the cage, but her attempt to get around senior defenseman Christina Cawood in the keeper’s box went for naught.

“We thought it was in, dammit,” De Rosa said. “It was so close to going in.”

Montgomery freshman goalkeeper Michelle Salas finished off the threat with a cover. The game, and the season, ended seconds later.

“You absolutely cannot hold your heads down,” De Rosa said. “This is historic for a PAL team, it’s historic for a Burlingame team. … Of the over 14,000 schools in the state of California that are playing soccer, 20 boys’ and 20 girls’ teams are still playing after all this time. And that’s 10 only this whole of Northern California. And for Burlingame to be one part of that there, this is incredible.”