The winner of Tuesday’s San Diego Section Division II boys soccer semifinal playoff match between the host Montgomery Aztecs and Eastlake Titans definitely received the spoils: a trip to Saturday’s division championship game.
The seventh-seeded Aztecs (15-3-4) prevailed by a 2-1 score over the 11th-seeded Titans (14-10-2) to meet fifth-seeded Mission Hills (16-7-3) in the division final. Kick-off for the Division II championship game is 4:30 p.m. at Mission Bay High School.
“It’s really exciting,” conceded Montgomery freshman center-back Jorge Osorio. “I think we have the team to win state.”
Oscar Godinez gave the Aztecs a 1-0 lead in the first half before Eastlake’s Samay Rahim tied the score. Ruben Aguiniga scored the game-winner on a skipping shot under the Titan goalkeeper in the second half.
Both teams missed a penalty kick in the game.
Montgomery advanced to Tuesday’s semifinal after slaying second-seeded Granite Hills, 2-1, in last Friday’s quarterfinals. Issac Cobian and Julian Castro each scored goals to lift the visiting Aztecs.
Montgomery is returning to familiar territory. The Aztecs won the Division IV title in 2015.
“We’ve been preparing for CIF all year,” Osorio said. “Our forwards and midfielders are seniors. They’ve been playing since they were freshmen. They’re starters.”
The Division II playoffs proved to highlight several notable upsets as Mission Hills upset top-seeded San Diego, 3-2, in Tuesday’s semifinals.
In fact, the top four-seeded teams in the division all were eliminated before reaching the final.
Eastlake upset third-seeded Rancho Bernardo, 4-3, in kicks from the mark tie-breaker in last Friday’s quarterfinals while Mission Hills eliminated fourth-seeded Fallbrook, 1-0, in the same playoff round.
In fact, Eastlake recorded a series of upsets in its run to the semifinals. The Titans defeated Southwest El Centro, 1-0, in a play-in game on Feb. 20, then promptly upset sixth-seeded Bishop’s, 2-1, in the opening round of bracket play on Feb. 22.
Aidan Osborn scored the game-winner in the play-in game against Southwest El Centro (8-7-6) while Sebastian Martinez and Rahim each scored goals in the win over Bishop’s (12-6-4).
Rahim notched the lone regulation goal for the Titans in their quarterfinal match against Rancho Bernardo (10-4-4) while goalkeeper Andres Rovira recorded 16 saves in 80 minutes of regulation play and 15 minutes of overtime before the KFM tie-breaker.
Rahim, a junior, led Eastlake in season scoring with 11 goals and seven assists while Rovira recorded a stingy 0.985 goals-against-average in 20 game appearances.
Montgomery began its playoff odyssey with a 2-1 opening round win over 10th-seeded Escondido (7-6-5) before knocking off Granite Hills (11-8-7) in the quarterfinals.
Otay Ranch (7-10-5) and San Ysidro (9-11-3) also participated in the Division II playoffs.
Otay Ranch defeated ninth-seeded Francis Parker (11-6-4) by a score of 3-2 in the opening round before ending its season with a 3-1 loss to the top-seeded Cavers (13-6-4) in the quarterfinals.
San Ysidro dropped a 3-1 play-in match to Grossmont (11-10-4).
Cornerkicks
Sixth-seeded Olympian fell short in Tuesday’s Division III semifinal match against second-seeded Hoover, 7-6, in the KFM tiebreaker. The teams had battled to a scoreless tie through regulation and overtime.
The Eagles (12-8-3) had eliminated third-seeded Bonita Vista, 5-4, in the KFM tiebreaker in last Friday’s quarterfinals.
Olympian edged 11th-seeded King-Chavez Community, 1-0, in the opening round on a goal by Enrique Avalos.
Bonita Vista, this year’s Mesa League champion, finished 11-5-4, 8-1-1 in league.
Hoover (14-5-5) advances to meet fifth-seeded Del Norte (14-5-5) in Saturday’s Division III championship game.
Freshman David Kay led Olympian in season scoring with 10 goals and two assists.
Getting their kicks
All three Metro Conference girls soccer teams advanced from Wednesday’s San Diego Section semifinals.
•Mesa League champion Eastlake, seeded second in the Division I field, outlasted third-seeded Patrick Henry, 4-3, in a kicks from the mark shootout. Leyla McFarland scored the game-winner.
•Montgomery, seeded second in the Division IV bracket, edged third-seeded La Jolla Country Day by a score of 2-1.
•Third-seeded Otay Ranch upset second-seeded Sage Creek, 5-4, in the KFM tiebreaker in Division III.
San Diego Section
Boys Soccer Playoffs
Division I
First round
Tuesday, Feb. 21
(6) Carlsbad 3, (11) Chula Vista 0
(12) San Dieguito Academy 1, (5) Southwest 0
Division II
First round
Tuesday, Feb. 21
(7) Montgomery 2, (10) Escondido 1 (OT)
(8) Otay Ranch 3, (9) Francis Parker 2
(11) Eastlake 2, (6) Bishop’s 1
Quarterfinals
Friday, Feb. 24
(7) Montgomery 2, (2) Granite Hills 1
(1) San Diego, 3, (8) Otay Ranch 1
(11) Eastlake 4, (3) Rancho Bernardo 3 (KFM tiebreaker)
Semifinals
Tiuesday, Feb. 28
(7) Montgomery 2, (11) Eastlake 1
Championship
Saturday, March 4
(5) Mission Hills vs. (7) Montgomery, 4:30 p.m. at Mission Bay High School
Division III
First round
Tuesday, Feb. 21
(6) Olympian 1, (11) King-Chavez Community 0
Quarterfinals
Friday, Feb. 24
(6) Olympian 5, (3) Bonita Vista 4 (KFM tiebreaker)
Semifinals
Tuesday, Feb. 28
(2) Hoover 7, (6) Olympian 6 (KFM tiebreaker)
Division IV
Play-in round
Monday, Feb. 20
First round
Chula Vista Community Learning Community Charter defeated Clairemont, score unavailable
Tuesday, Feb. 21
(6) Mt. Carmel 4, Chula Vista Community Learning Community Charter 0
Division V
First round
Tuesday, Feb. 21
Mar Vista 3, River Valley 1
Quarterfinals
Friday, Feb. 24
(1) El Cajon Valley 5, (8) Mar Vista 1
Metro Conference
Boys Soccer Standings
Mesa League
Bonita Vista 8-1-1, 11-4-4
Montgomery 5-2-3, 12-3-4
Olympian 5-3-2, 11-7-3
Castle Park 3-3-4, 5-7-6
Sweetwater 2-7-1, 8-14-2
Mar Vista 0-7-3, 7-8-3
South Bay League
Bonita Vista 8-1-1, 11-5-4
Montgomery 5-2-3, 15-3-4
Olympian 5-3-2, 12-8-3
Castle Park 3-3-4, 5-7-6
Sweetwater 2-7-1, 8-14-2
Mar Vista 0-7-3, 7-9-3
San Diego Section
Girls Soccer Playoffs
Play-in round
Monday, Feb. 20
Division IV: Mater Dei Catholic 3, Mountain Empire 2
First round
Wednesday, Feb. 22
Division I: (2) Eastlake (bye)
Division III: (11) Southwest 1, (6) Vista 0
Division IV: (2) Montgomery (bye); (5) Monte Vista 4, (12) Mater Dei Catholic 0; (10) Orange Glen 3, (7) Mar Vista 2
Quarterfinal round
Saturday, Feb. 25
Divisoin I: (2) Eastlake 2, (7) Coronado 0
Division III: (3) Otay Ranch 6, (11) Southwest 5 (KFM tiebreaker)
Division IV: (2) Montgomery 2, (10) Orange Glen 1
Semifinals round
Wednesday, March 1
Division I: (2) Eastlake 4, (3) Patrick Henry 3 (KFM tiebreaker)
Division III: (3) Otay Ranch 5, (2) Sage Creek 4 (KFM tiebreaker)
Division IV: (2) Montgomery 2, (3) La Jolla Country Day 1
Championship games
Saturday, March 4
Division I: (2) Eastlake 1, (9) La Costa Canyon 0
Division III: (1) Our Lady of Peace 5, (3) Otay Ranch 1
Division IV: (1) San Dieguito Academy 1, (2) Montgomery 1
