Live Oak's Michaela Swensen, left, and Sabrina Rice battle for a header with Santa Cruz during their CCS division III semifinal game at Valley Christian High School in San Jose Friday.
Live Oak's Fabi Diaz drives the ball away from the Acrons goal during the first half of their CCS division III semifinal game against Santa Cruz at Valley Christian High School in San Jose Friday.
Live Oak's Megan Rauschnot works to get control of the ball during the first half of their CCS division III semifinal game against Santa Cruz at Valley Christian High School in San Jose Friday.
SAN JOSE -- In the end, Live Oak was one bad bounce away from possibly playing for a Central Coast Section championship.
The No. 2-seeded Lady Acorns ran out of magic Friday at Valley Christian High, losing 1-0 to Santa Cruz in a momentum-fluctuated CCS Division III semifinal that was decided on a flukey play in the 23rd minute.
The Cardinals, seeded third and ranked No. 12 by the San Jose Mercury News, controlled little until that point but managed to get within striking distance on a through ball that was tipped out of bounds roughly 20 yards from the Acorns' goal. Cassidy Burr threw in at the right sideline, and the ball caromed off two heads toward an open space in between Santa Cruz forward Catherine Sordo and Live Oak goalkeeper Selena Braun.
Sordo got to it first. With Braun sliding at her legs, she lofted a shot from 12 yards out into the open net.
"We knew there were going to be bounces in this game. We just hoped some of them would go our way," said Santa Cruz coach Jay Gomez, whose team played to a 1-1 tie with the Acorns on Dec. 15. "We knew they were going to play like they do; very physical and intense. We were able to rise above it."
Live Oak (13-5-4), which relied heavily on long passes up top during its run to the Mount Hamilton Division title, struggled mightily to connect passes on the narrow artificial turf field.
Santa Cruz, which placed second in the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League, faired well against the Acorns' explosive frontline. Live Oak was held scoreless for the first time since Jan. 27.
"They had the right scheme to defense us. I give them a lot of credit," coach Tony Vasquez said. "They took away a lot of the things we usually do, and they didn't let us get many throw-ins or corner kicks."
The No. 14-ranked Acorns dictated possession for most of the game but were limited to five shots -- zero on goal.
"The field was an obstacle for both teams. It just wasn't a well-played soccer game, but it is what it is," Vasquez said. "We didn't adjust to how the game was being played. (Santa Cruz) did."
With their backs to the wall, the Acorns found their offensive rhythm in the final 10 minutes. They had their best chance to score in the 76th minute, when Tiffany Geer launched a throw-in to Fabi Diaz in the right corner. Diaz created space, turned and crossed to Rauschnot, whose header from less than 10 yards out sailed over the crossbar.
Live Oak created one more opportunity a minute later. Following a hand-ball call near midfield, junior Amanda Morgan bent in a free kick from 40 yards out, but Cardinals keeper Stephanie Busch was there to snatch it.
"We should have been playing like that all game," said Rauschnot, a sophomore forward. "You can't wait until there's no time left to get it going."
Winning their first CCS title since 2004 was one of three sequential goals the Acorns had this winter. They wanted to end a five-year playoff drought and place first in the hotly contested Blossom Valley Athletic League 'A' division.
At least one of Live Oak's checklist items will be clear cut next year, when the team returns as many as a dozen varsity players.
"We've finished better in each of the past three years, so our expectation is to duplicate what we did the previous year," Vasquez said. "But our goal will be to win CCS next season.
"I'm very happy we were able to send our seniors out with a couple playoff games under their belt."
Santa Cruz (13-3-4) returned to VCHS Saturday for a finals bout with No. 1 Scotts Valley, the reigning Division III champion. Earlier this year, Scotts Valley tied (0-0) and defeated (1-0) the Cardinals on the way to locking up first place in the SCCAL.
This time, Santa Cruz won 1-0.
Scott J. Adams Scott J. Adams covers Morgan Hill sports for South Valley Newspapers. Send him an email or call him at 779-4106.
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