Marin Catholic goes to overtime to advance to NorCal finals.

The Marin Catholic women's soccer team had dominant possession and had many chances throughout the second half, but the Wildcats had nothing to show for it at the end of regulation in Thursday's Northern California Division IV semifinal game against Kerman. .

It took less than a minute of overtime for the Wildcats to break through. Eva Coric sent a corner kick into the 18-yard box and Brianna Frede fired a shot at the near post. The ball, which may have touched a defender, crossed the goal line and the Wildcats won a hard-fought 1-0 victory.

“I was really relieved,” Frede said. “I didn't want to play another 15 minutes. It was a really difficult game to begin with, so I'm glad we got that (goal). As a senior, it means a lot to make it to the NorCal finals.”

MC's first foray into the NorCal playoffs culminates with a championship home game Saturday at 3 p.m. The top-seeded Wildcats (16-3-4) will play No. 3 Everett Alvarez (16-6-1) and beat No. 7 Torres, 4-1, in the other semifinal. Ta.

The winners against fourth-place Kerman (17 wins, 10 losses, 5 draws) won 54 seconds into the 15-minute golden goal overtime period.

“Eva, great service from one of the best ball strikers in this county,” MC coach Isaiah Schwerin said of the goal. “Brianna has been a great utility player for us. She plays up top. She plays in the back. She plays No. 10 and just gets there first and makes the first touch. It was to score – I think it ended up being an own goal – but credit to Bri for getting there in the first place.

Frede was used as a central striker for most of the match, with Colic out on the right and Sloane Carey playing as an attacking midfielder just behind him.

“We started with Bri up top and gave her the option of playing at her feet with her back to the goal and putting Sloan down,” Sherwin said. “We were rotating them as we went along, but we felt they needed a bigger, more physical presence from their strong centre-backs.”

The match was fairly even for the first 20 minutes as MC faced strong winds and heavy rain. With 20 minutes remaining in the first half, the weather improved, and MC began to gain control of the ball in earnest and began to establish an advantage in possession.

This advantage carried over into the second half, as MC created one chance after another. Every time Kerman tried to break out of their own half, MC's last line would steal the ball around midfield and launch a new attack.

“We just kept making shots,” Carey said. “He said Pepper was the keeper, so that’s what we tried to do and I think he nailed it.”

The Wildcats took numerous corner kicks and free kicks in the attacking third in the second half, but each time a shot went on target, either a defender made a decisive block or Kerman goalie Milani Gutierrez made a save. showed.

MC produced perhaps the best offensive move of the game in the 48th minute when Carey passed to Colic, who played a through ball to let Frede slip behind the defense. Gutierrez was quick off the line and made some impressive saves.

“That was a good moment. I was one-on-one with the keeper and was able to get Bri behind. It was a great save,” Schwerin said. “Bri had a chance to head it but it went wide. Sloan made some good efforts but we just kept pushing. (Kelman) was resolute. . They're a great team. That's why they're here.”

Kelman countered all of MC's attacks in the second half, but the Wildcats continued to dominate the ball and went for the winner.

“There was definitely some nerves,'' MC Holding midfielder Kate Butdorff said. “I think everyone felt that way, but I never gave up hope and I don't think anyone else did either. There's something special about this team – camaraderie and togetherness. We're We all believed in each other that this moment would come, and we can win this.”