RECAP: CALIFORNIA STORM WINS IN OVERTIME, HEADS TO WEST REGION FINALS

Written By:  Katie Parker
             West Region Contributor

The match between the California Storm and SC del Sol felt a little choppy after the late start due to the match prior between the San Francisco Nighthawks and MISS KICK FC going into overtime and then penalties. Although there were beautiful moments from each, neither side could take full control of the match.

Occasionally a team would string together three to four passes as it moved up the field before being stopped cold by the opposing backline or derailed by intense wind. A weather app recorded wind gusts at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco between 16 and 34 mph. It definitely had an impact on the pace of the match causing things to slow down a bit.

After feeling each other out in the first half, the Storm was able to find a more consistent rhythm in the second and earned twice as many opportunities at goal than SC del Sol.

One attempt from the Arizona side forced Storm goalkeeper Amanda Leal (California State University, Stanislaus) to make a diving save as Eva van Deursen, a player for the Dutch National Team U23, settled a ball with her back to the goal in the 18 before turning and firing a shot that flew past two Storm defenders.

The match continued to intensify as the urgency to score in the final minutes of regulation increased. In the 85’ Storm defender Katie Hardeman, who still holds multiple records at Sacramento State University, took her space before driving up the center of the field and sending a ball over the top for Alexandra Klos to run onto.

Klos redirected it with the outside of her right foot as the SC del Sol goalkeeper closed down on her. The ball rolled by and looked like it was slowly, but surely headed into the goal as the keeper and defenders raced after it but SC del Sol’s goalie dove on it just as the ball was set to roll wide of the post.

A few minutes later, the match headed to extra time.

Both 15-minute overtime halves held much of the same - a few great passes forward followed by excellent defending that sent play the other direction. There were some good looks at goal, but nothing broke through. That is, until the 114’.

“Obviously that was a tight game, it went all the way to extra time. The girls have done brilliant, it could’ve gone either way,” Mat Evans, SC del Sol head coach, said. “Unfortunately it just didn’t land for us today..Hopefully we’ll come back next year.”

Storm’s Kaylee Gillespie crossed a ball into the box that was headed out by an SC del Sol player. As Hardeman pushed up looking for a chance to get involved, the ball bounced in her direction when she cut it around a defender and sent a banger to the lower left corner of the goal. The Storm held onto the 1-0 lead until the final whistle.

“I’m a defender, so I just kind of cheat up, and sometimes the ball pops out and sometimes it doesn’t,” Hardeman said. “It happened to pop out and I took a touch and just tried to place it on frame, and it went in. I was kind of shocked.”

Hardeman is an alumna of Sacramento State University where she played from 2004-2007 and still holds multiple season and career records. Each Storm player, when spoken with after the match, made a point to say that Hardeman is someone they all admire.

“For it to be a goal by Katie, someone that we all look up to because she’s been on the team for so long, she’s a mom of two, we all look up to her as a super soccer mom, soccer player, amazing person,” Janae Gonzalez, Storm co-captain, said. “I just feel really happy and excited for her, and us.”

Gonzalez, who has played professionally in Mexico and earned last season’s Pac North Conference Offensive Player of the Year award, shared that while they didn’t get on the board in regulation, the Storm didn’t feel defeated heading into overtime. The message was to continue doing what they were doing and stay patient because the goal would come. And it did, making this match an extra memorable one for Hardeman. 

“I’ve been playing on the Storm for 12 years, on and off with pregnancies and kids and everything, so I probably don’t have too many more games in me at this high of a level,” Hardeman said. “Every game is super special for me.”

The Storm’s last two matches have been decided in overtime or penalties. After its tough loss, last weekend in the Pac North Championship, the mentality within the Storm was to come into Regional weekend strong and keep its sights forward.

“We have our eyes on the prize on Sunday and we also want to move on to next week, so we’re doing nothing but looking forward and that’s kind of our team mentality today,” Elizabeth Hutchison, Storm co-captain and UC Davis alumna, said. “This was just another hurdle in the way of getting to the national championship.”

A quick turnaround will see them back on the pitch Sunday competing for the West Region Championship.

The California Storm, one of the two most veteran teams in the league, plays MISS KICK FC, one of the newest clubs, in the Regional Final Sunday at 5 PM PT. Watch the match live on Eleven Sports, the official streaming partner of the WPSL.