St. Francis closes the attack on St. Ignatius, scored two quick goals to avenge the tie and cement WCAL control
MOUNTAIN VIEW – Two goals, one shot.
A figure that gives good evidence for a two-point group. Less than the squad with one netting attempt.
As St. Francis ranked high and welcomed St. Ignatius in the West Catholic Athletic League championship Wednesday night in Mountain View, the Lancers used the formula that has made them successful this season.
Don’t let go of the goal, gradually more (or more) shots in the frame. And score at least once.
St. Francis got quick goals from Maya Meltz and Mireille Del Santo to establish an early cushion, the Lancers’ lockdown allowing just one harmless shot on a free kick in the second period en route to a 2-0 victory that sealed their fifth straight WCAL title.
“The girls were very focused,” said the St. Louis coach. Francis Carlos Barboza. “They were upset for the first time. So I could tell they were focused since Monday. We talked a lot about putting our chances away, we know usually against SI, you don’t get a ton of those. And they obviously finished the game and put it down early. I felt like there was a good 25 minutes in that first half where we were strong.”
The Lancers’ (15-0-1, 9-0-1) only score this season came at the hands of SI (14-2-1, 8-2-1) when the Wildcats tied St. Francis 0-0 on Jan. 17 in San Francisco.
SI coach Daire O’Connor knew he was going to prepare his team for a motivated Lancers team this time.
It didn’t matter.
“They were very motivated, weren’t they, to get out of there, because we had to work hard to get them points at home,” said O’Connor. “We worked hard in the first game. And we talked about it, we prepared. We knew St. Francis was going to come out really strong. They scored two goals in the first half, and we knew we needed a big effort to get back into the game. And you know what? They’re a great team all around.”
St. Francis scored the first goal in the ninth minute when Kendall Koury put a good ball into the box outside, and Maya Meltz threw in the towel.
Two minutes later, Lynn Byun’s corner found itself tangled between the feet of a few players off the goal line. Mireille Del Santo seized the opportunity amidst the chaos and blasted the ball into the back of the net.
“We did a good job handling and transporting them,” said Barboza. “The crossing was going well, and our runs into the box were good. And we were working on sets a little bit and spending time knowing that as the season gets to the last few weeks, the teams are organized, right? And they know how we play. And so being able to get a goal here and there with sets sometimes will win us the game.”
With two games remaining in the regular season, both teams have their sights set on the Central Coast Section qualifiers. St. Francis is a close-lock to be the No. 1 seed. 1 in the Division I bracket, while St. Ignatius will probably break the seed during the upper division.
For the Lancers, the goal is simple. Don’t lose.
They have been very good at that so far.
“Closing the WCAL with as many wins as possible, and making sure we don’t lose anything,” said Barboza. “Our No. 2 goal is to go to the playoffs healthy. We spent almost the entire season without four and six players in each game, and now we’re back to 21 out of 23. So we’re almost there. And the third one is to get to that state game. I’m not ignoring the CCS, but the ultimate goal is the CCS final and we get to that CIFC final.”
St. Ignatius has modest ambitions, but the Cats aim just as high.
“I feel confident,” O’Connor said. “Yeah, they’re doing amazing. They’re resilient, and they’re buying into the team’s identity and culture this year, where they’re more connected on and off the field. So I think that’s going to help us go deep into the playoffs. But that first game is going to be very important, so we’ll have to see who we’re up against there.”
Subscribe to our Bay Area Preps HQ newsletter for all Bay Area high school sports news, including game analysis, scores, and everything you want to know about your Bay Area high school teams.
