JSerra's Boys Eliminated From Soccer Playoffs in Second Overtime, 2-1

The Outcome... Santa Barbara beats JSerra, 2-1, in Second Overtime

JSerra’s boys soccer team rallied to tie its home match with Santa Barbara, 1-1, in the final minute of regulation before falling to the Dons in double overtime. The heartbreaking defeat cut the Lions’ title hunt short on Friday afternoon in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 quarterfinal.

The Turning Point... Dons Take Advantage of Pierce’s Absence in Net

JSerra goalkeeper Kyle Pierce was forced to exit the game midway through the first half, with the contest locked in a scoreless stalemate. The senior suffered a head injury in a collision near the net, which forced Lions coach Davor Fabulich to insert inexperienced sophomore Russell Pedia in Pierce’s place.

Pedia stopped the first shot he faced, despite struggling to get a handle on the ball. But he could only watch as Santa Barbara (19-5-3) scored on its next opportunity.

Dons forward Alfredo Ibarra buried a shot in the back of the net after receiving a beautiful entry pass from midfield. The junior snuck the ball on the left corner of the net, with little room to spare, forcing JSerra to fight uphill for the remainder of the contest.

“We put the ball exactly where we wanted to,” Santa Barbara coach Todd Heil said. “We emphasized how important it is to put the pressure on JSerra’s back line early because they are so good moving forward.”

The Lions (15-6-3) scraped and clawed in an effort to tie the score for the nearly 60 minutes of game time, before senior Kenneth Hendren knotted the score at one goal on a header with under a minute remaining in the second half.

Pierce returned from the sidelines almost immediately after Ibarra’s goal. He finished out the remainder of the game on the field, but the stage had already been set for the Dons’ double-overtime victory.

It was Over When... Tony Alfaro Took a Chance from 20 Yards Out

The first 10-minute overtime frame ended without a goal, and it looked as if the second extra session would fail to resolve anything as well. With the game seemingly on the verge of penalty kicks, Santa Barbara senior Tony Alfaro stunned the home crowd and spurred his team toward the semifinals.

Alfaro abruptly let one rip from over 20 yards beyond the net. The ball reached the goal, where Pierce was surrounded by a flurry of players from both teams, and it sailed over the goalkeeper's head to bring an end to the hotly contested match.

“We asked Tony to over-hit the ball because he usually under-hits it and we wanted to make sure it got there,” Heil said. “You roll the dice and sometimes things like that happen. He was able to kick it toward a bunch of traffic and it found its way into the net.”

The game-winner came despite the fact that Santa Barbara was playing short-handed. Forward Ryan Richardson was ejected from the match midway through the second overtime.

“When they went a man down in the second overtime period, we thought we had a good shot,” Fabulich said. “But they came up with a nice shot and it just didn’t work out that way for us.”

The Aftermath... Santa Barbara Returns Home for Semifinal Match

Following two consecutive trips to Orange County, the Dons get to stay home for their semifinal match. Santa Barbara hosts the winner of the Loyola-West Torrance quarterfinal, with a trip to the Division 1 championship at stake.

“After the CIF pre-flips we knew we had a chance to be home in the semis,” Heil said. “It’s a lot easier when you know in the back of your head that you can head home for the next round.”

JSerra finished third in the treacherous Trinity League and managed two one-goal victories in the playoffs before bowing out against the Dons.

“The guys came together this season and fought hard,” Fabulich said. “They had a great year and it’s tough for it to end this way, but that’s what the playoffs are all about. Games like this can go either way.”

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