Tigers tame Leigh to take CCS crown

She started her senior year playing center fullback before NDB head coach Paul McCallion moved her into a center striker role midway through the season.

Then, she missed the final four games of the regular season and the first two games of the Central Coast Section Division II playoffs with a concussion.

She declared herself fit Saturday morning before the Tigers met Leigh-San Jose in the Division II title game, so it was only fitting that it was Diaz who punched in the game’s only goal to give fifth-seeded Notre Dame-Belmont its first CCS crown since 2004 with the 1-0 win over the second-seeded Longhorns Saturday morning at Fremont High School.

“Kinda shocked,” Diaz said. “I’m really glad I could be back for this game. … Everyone played their hearts out.”

Diaz said she was partially cleared medically Friday, allowing her one day of practice before Saturday’s final. She said the decision, ultimately, was up to her whether she played or not.

“I wasn’t going to let my team come out here without me,” Diaz said, who will continue her soccer career at University of San Francisco.

After more than 70 minutes of an evenly played game, during which both teams had a couple of chances while the defenses remained rock solid, NDB (14-7-1) finally struck with three minutes left in regulation. It came off a controversial free kick awarded to the Tigers near midfield, when senior forward Ava Cholakian and a Leigh defender got tangled up, with the Longhorn player eventually going down to the turf.

The ball rolled out of bounds, but the referee awarded a free kick to the Tigers for a challenge from behind, much to the consternation of the Leigh fans in the stands.

Center fullback Viva Vorzimmer stepped up to take the free kick. The Tigers’ designated free-kick taker, Vorzimmer had sent several dangerous balls into the Leigh penalty box throughout the game, so the Longhorns defense was on its toes.

Vorzimmer sent a long pass to the top of the Leigh penalty box, where Cholakian flicked the ball with her head to Jubilee Wilson, who, after settling the ball with her back to the goal, tapped a pass to Diaz in the center of the box. With the defender on her back shoulder, Diaz turned and from 10 yards, hit the shot that gave the Tigers their fourth CCS title.

“We took advantage (of the foul call),” Diaz said. “You just have to keep playing.”

The win also gave McCallion his first CCS championship, to go along with the 2010 North Coast Section title he won with Castro Valley.

McCallion gave a lot of credit to his longtime assistant, Dave Heuer, who followed him from Castro Valley to Belmont.

“I couldn’t have done it without him,” McCallion said.

And while it was Diaz who earned the spotlight with her goal, the Tigers’ win was truly a team effort. In the opening minutes, as the Tigers found their footing, it was the defensive line combination of Vorzimmer, freshman sweeper Catherine McGuire, and outside backs Grace Earley and Julia Granucci, who held down the fort in the opening 10 minutes.

“We defended well when we needed to,” McCallion said.

And when her number was called, senior goalkeeper Sophia Viviani was there for the stop — including a number of what turned out to be game-saving saves.

Leigh’s best chance came in the 60th minute when its striker hammered a shot that was destined for the upper net. Viviani stretched up as high as she could, knocking the ball down with both hands. She could not catch it cleanly, however, and scrambled to prevent the rebound from bounding into the net.

How close was it to going over the goal line? Viviani is not quite sure.

“It happened so fast,” Viviani said. “I watched it go behind me and I just ripped it out of goal.”

McCallion had nothing but praise for Viviani, who finished the game with six saves.

“I’ve been hard on her all year, but she was stellar [Saturday],” McCallion said.

That superlative could be used to describe the entire Tigers effort. After weathering some Leigh assaults in the first 10 minutes of the game, the Tigers really got stuck in once Shea Levy came alive. The senior center midfielder started asserting her dominance in the midfield, winning balls, making runs and distributing passes.

“Shea just holds us together,” said Cholakian. “She’s our glue.”

Once Levy got going, the rest of the Tigers followed suit. Cholakian, a four-year varsity player, started making dangerous penetrating runs and also provided a number of long-range attempts on goal, most noticeable in the waning seconds of the first half when she hit a driving shot that beat the Leigh goalkeeper, but caromed off the crossbar.

Did Cholakian think her attempt was good?

“I really did,” she said.

The Tigers would go on outshoot the Longhorns 4-3 in the opening half and 10-6 for the game.

And the season is not over for the Tigers. By winning the Division II title, Notre Dame-Belmont qualified for the Northern California tournament, which begins Tuesday. The Tigers drew the No. 8 seed in the CIF Division III bracket. They open at No. 1 Marin Academy-San Rafael at 4 p.m.

“It’s crazy,” Cholakian said.

Division I

No. 4 Menlo School 1, No. 3 Christopher-Gilroy 0

For the third time in the past six seasons, the Menlo girls’ soccer team won a section championship — this time after a 1-0 victory over Christopher in the Division I championship at Fremont High on Saturday.

The Knights (20-0-2) advance to the state’s first NorCal Championship tournament, which begins this week. Drawing the CIF Division II No. 7 seed, Menlo will travel to No. 2 Montgomery-Santa Rosa for a 4 p.m. start.

Menlo will be joined in the inaugural NorCals by West Bay Athletic League foes: Notre Dame-Belmont (CCS Division II champions) and Sacred Heart Prep (CCS Division IV).

Menlo scored just three minutes into the first half when sophomore Stella El-Fishawy found the net for the eventual winner. From there, junior Talia Grossman and the Knights defense posted their 15th shutout of the season.

In the days after the semifinal win, Menlo adjusted its strategy and its alignment.

“After a lot of discussion, we figured out how at least defensively we would be really hard to break down,” Menlo coach Ross Ireland said. “And eventually, maybe the team would overplay. While it didn’t go that way at all, the players recognize fully how we defend will determine the outcome of the game.”

It was also the second CCS title in three seasons for Ireland and the program’s seventh overall.

Division IV

No. 3 Sacred Heart Prep 2, No. 5 Woodside Priory 1 OT

Caitlin Carcione scored twice, including the game-winner with five minutes left in the second overtime, to give the Gators their fourth CCS title since 2009. They won back-to-back crowns in 2014 and ’15.

Carcione scored in the 31st minute off an assist from Ellie Brew, and took a pass from Juliana Rosen for the go-ahead strike in the 95th minute.

Boys’ soccer

Division II

No. 5 Mitty 1, No. 3 Menlo School 0

The Knights came up short in their quest for their second CCS title, having previously won in 2013.

Mitty’s Manuel Andrade took a pass from Oscar Toulet to score the game’s only goal.

Pam McKenney contributed to this report