Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Arcata’s Audrey Shelton (8) battles for possession during Saturday’s game.
By Ray Hamill — The Arcata girls are going to get another shot at Fortuna.
The two league rivals both advanced in the quarterfinals of the North Coast Section Division-I soccer playoffs on Saturday, and will now meet in the semifinal at Fortuna on Wednesday night.
The Huskies got the better of Lower Lake 7-2 in their quarterfinal at Fortuna High, while the Tigers comfortably dispatched of Roseland Prep, 6-1 at McKinleyville High.
Arcata’s Annie Macdonald (7)
The semifinal will be the fifth meeting between the two Humboldt-Del Norte League rivals this season, with the Huskies winning all four previous games.
That, however, won’t mean anything when they meet again in the do-or-die clash, with the winner likely to face No. 1 seed Eureka in the championship game next weekend, provided the Loggers can get past Middletown in the other semifinal.
Another hat trick for Zumbrun
Karina Zumbrun was outstanding again for the Tigers, netting yet another hat trick in the win.
The senior co-captain has been one of the chief driving forces for the Tigers all season, and proved to be once again on Saturday.
Zakiya Elloway-Woneberg also had a big game, scoring twice and adding a pair of assists, while Audrey Shelton rounded out the scoring.
“The girls were on their game tonight,” Arcata head coach Patrick Stranahan said. “I was real happy with the way they were moving the ball around.”
The Tigers certainly turned in a cohesive team performance and never looked in any danger of losing this one.
They scored three times in each half, with Zumbrun completing her hat trick with six minutes to go on a brilliant individual effort that saw her wind her way past several defenders before scoring (see video).
Elloway-Wonenberg and Shelton each added a late goal, as the home team pulled away at the end for a more flattering result.
Controlled midfield performance
Despite being held scoreless for much of the second half, this was a game the Tigers dominated, with a controlled midfield performance setting the relentless attack in motion.
The visitors, to their credit, turned in a disciplined defensive performance to hold the potent Arcata in check for long spells, tidying up much of what came their way.
Zakiya Elloway-Wonenberg, right, heads the ball during Saturday’s game.
At the back for Arcata, the center pairing of Gywn Stratton and Zoe Leonard anchored a solid defensive performance, as they have for much of the season.
Zumbrun and her center midfield partner Nina Crossen, the team’s two senior co-captains, were as consistent as ever, while senior Maygan Graves also turned in a strong performance, constantly causing the visitors problems down the left flank.
Elloway-Wonenberg has developed into a dynamic threat up front for Arcata, and that was the case once again on Saturday, taking her late opportunity with precision and composure.
Shelton also had a strong game in attack, as did Bella Garrett and Sarah Jensen down the right wing.
Sophomore Sophia Salinas also kept the visiting defense on its toes.
“They were consistent from whistle to whistle,” Stranahan said of his players.
This playoff structurization does not benefit north coast high school soccer at all!
Move to winter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Could not get a link from ncs, but look at the quality of soccer programs when sections has not depleted the number of programs…like was said, to avoid title 9 violation allegations and segregation claims, NCS let schools choose fall spring or winter… too many teams from the southern portion of the NCS decided that when it came to playoffs they wanted better competition and they did not like traveling to Humboldt hick County where the competition pales in comparison… it didn’t always used to be that way but leave it to Humboldt County Educators to really mess things up because they only care about money they don’t care about the student body or student-athletes… and it shows in their selection of coaching staff’s too… like School District rules that enables a school district to hire their own employee as opposed to a better qualified coach not affiliated with the school district… seriously just think how much better these high school players would be if they actually had a coach that knew what the hell they were doing…
NORTH COAST SECTION, CIF
FALL 1973 TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS
Semi-final Round (four-team tournament)
Campolindo (Moraga) 1, Terra Linda (San Rafael) 1;
Campolindo won on penalty kicks, 5-4 (4-4, 1-0)
Mission (SF) 3, Stagg (Stockton) 0
Championship (December 6 at Balboa Park, San Francisco)
Campolindo 2, Mission 0
Campolindo scoring
1st half: Dan Greenstein
2nd half: Guillermo Torres
FALL 1974 TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS
(Two-game series, champion determined by total goals)
November 15 at Balboa Park, SF: Mission (SF) 4, Miramonte (Orinda) 0
November 16 at Balboa Park, SF: Mission 4, Miramonte 0
Mission scoring in tournament
Ricardo Diaz: 3 goals
Javier Palacios: 3 goals
Francisco Guzman: 1 goal
Manzan Satar: 1 goal
FALL 1975 TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS
First Round
Skyline (Oakland) 3, Santa Rosa 2
Mission (SF) 2, Del Valle (Walnut Creek) 0
Third Place
Santa Rosa 4, Del Valle 3 (OT)
Championship (November 12 at Balboa Park)
Mission 4, Skyline 1
Mission scoring
Dan Canales: 2 goals
Augustine Reyes: 2 goals
The beginning years…
In 1986, Humboldt Del Norte League high schools switch to fall soccer.
Now, ncs fall soccer is a pittance of its former self…competetive quality is down…
Move HDNL soccer programs back to winter league and then be able to pick up some football players to round out a more quality team since the North Coast suffers in population loads compared to the southern teams within the section… it’s not enough just to be able to feel the team it’s got to be about a quality program that puts out quality teams that can play quality soccer win or lose!
Of course the other part is the parents and how they really messed the sport up because they want to get all political as if they’re controlling something you know with travel team sports versus Recreation Sports… so yeah a big boot up the you-know-what for all those bad apple parents whom just totally messed up something that good apple parents worked so hard to provide to the community decades ago… way to go generation x and millenial selfish mommy and daddy types…bumbling idiots…messed up what once was a good thing…
“…and then be able to pick up some football players to round out a more quality team “…you’re killing me, a football player that can run for 90 minutes? That’s the funniest thing I’ve read in a long time. Good one!
Athletes are athletes…and no player actually runs for 90 minutes, get real.
Football and volleyball players bring aggressive, physical play that is part of the game…
Population loads require crossover talents…
High school is 80 in regulation…so ten minutes cut short compared to adults…