Lady Falcons Soccer Advances in the State Playoffs

With their season hanging by a thread and playing with just 10 players on the field for the final 50 minutes, the Folsom Lake women's soccer team defeated an old nemesis with a thrilling 3-2 overtime victory over district rival Cosumnes River to advance to the 3^rd round of the CCCAA state playoffs last night at Falcon Stadium.  In a see-saw match that lasted 120 minutes, the Falcons once again fell behind early as Cosumnes River controlled the ball and tempo early, eventually scoring in the 26^th minute.  The Hawks' defense was dominant as they seemed to anticipate FLC's every pass and limited the Falcons' advances.  As the first half wore on, the Falcons began to figure out CRC's defense and managed some shots on goal, but weren't able to penetrate the net.  Down 1-0 starting the second half, the home team continued to pressure the Hawks with several more scoring chances.  Finally in the 65^th minute, sophomore Sami Thomas found an opening and didn't miss, tying the game at 1-1.  Within a minute (and while the Hawks were still hanging their heads), freshman teammate Andrea Martinez found another opening and put the Falcons ahead 2-1.   The euphoria didn't last, though, as sophomore defender Kace Bailey received her second yellow card on a hard tackle, resulting in mandatory disqualification from the game.  As a result, the Falcons would have to play the rest of the match with just 10 players.  In the 71^st minute, a foul in the goal box gave CRC a penalty kick, which they converted to tie the game at 2-2.  Now the Falcons were playing for their lives, tied at 2 and down one player with almost 20 minutes to play.  However, it was the Falcons who dominated the remainder of regulation time, nearly scoring on several chances while limiting the Hawks at the other end.  At the conclusion of 90 minutes, it remained 2-2.  Playoff rules call for two 15-minute periods of overtime, meaning the Falcon defense had 30 more minutes to hold off CRC with just 10 players on the field.  Neither team managed to score in the first overtime, though both had close calls.  Three minutes into the second overtime, a foul gave the Falcons a free kick from 35 yards out.  Instead of sending a pass to her teammates stationed in front of the goal, sophomore midfielder/defender Chayney Mata surprised the Hawks with a shot that just cleared the goalie's hand as it sailed into the top of the net for a 3-2 Falcon lead. The final 12 minutes were excruciating as the Hawks frantically tried to tie the game. When the final whistle blew, the stands erupted… as did the home team on the field.

The Falcons will now prepare to face Fresno City College in Fresno on Saturday afternoon, November 28, for the opportunity to play in the State Final Four on December 4.  The Falcons (19-2-2) met Fresno (18-1-4) in a non-conference match on October 20, losing a close 1-0 battle.  This will be FLC's first foray into the 3^rd round of the playoffs, having lost in the 2^nd round in 2013 and 1^st round in 2014.