Samantha Tristan’s overtime shot pierced the back of the net and sent Clovis High to the championship match of the CIF Central Section Girls Soccer playoffs after a 2-1 win over Edison.
Just one minute into overtime, Tristan, sent a laser of a shot from just inside the penalty box that Edison goalkeeper Carmen Rodriguez had no chance at stopping.
While the goal sent Clovis to the finals, it also brought to an end an impressive playoff run for Edison, which defeated San Luis Obispo, upset Buchanan on the road and looked competitive at Lamonica Stadium against Clovis.
“That was a tough matchup, we knew that coming in here, Edison was not going to concede an inch, they’re going to fight to the end. We knew we needed to match the energy and I think we did,” Clovis head coach Ian Lynch said.
Clovis’ first goal of the night came off of the foot of Peyton Machado. Her shot floated over the head of Rodriguez and got the scoring underway.
The goal was Machado’s third of the season and probably the most unlikely one she has scored.
It resembled a flop shot in golf and with just the right angle on it, it skied over the head of the Edison goalkeeper who looked one part upset and one part bemused at how the ball managed to make it through to the back of the net.
For much of the first half, Edison was unable to produce any significant offensive challenges. Its best look at a shot on goal came late in the first half but was stifled when the assistant referee’s flag went up for an offsides call.
While Clovis scored the go-ahead goal in the first, its offensive organization also struggled against the Edison defense. Machado’s score was far from the Cougar’s best chance at a goal and was a low percentage shot when she took it.
Edison, though, found the missing offensive pressure and scored the equalizing goal off of a corner kick in the second half.
Tristan, however, scored the goal that put Clovis back in the lead and ultimately secured a spot in the championship game against Clovis North.
“I think we did a good job tonight, we stepped up early, we stepped up late and we just continued to battle a lot of different things… we’re fortunate to be going to the championship game,” Lynch said.
On the other side of the bracket, the Broncos defeated Liberty High 2-0 in their semi-final match on Wednesday afternoon.
Clovis High and Clovis North have played each other twice this season. Their first meeting on Jan. 14, ended with the Broncos taking a 3-2 win. The Cougars went on to even the season series with a 4-1 win at home two weeks later.
In both instances, the home team won and with Clovis North holding the higher seed, it will have home-field advantage.
For Clovis, this match felt like a routine appearance in a late-season playoff game – a standard occurrence for most Clovis athletic teams.
For Edison, though, this felt like a game with more on the line; their student section and fans had traveled well and were noisier whenever the Tigers got a good look at a potential goal.
Balloons lined the handrails and the noisemakers that were passed around made Edison’s side of Lamonica Stadium feel more like a Friday night in fall then a spring Wednesday evening.
This loss is the end of an impressive playoff run for Edison. After defeating San Luis Obispo in the opening round, the Tigers upset Buchanan 4-1 on the road and at times looked like the favorite to win in Lamonica.
Clovis North will host Clovis on Saturday at 3:30 pm for the Valley championship.