Kat Lopez-Geary (left) races to the ball along with a St. Bernard's play during Friday's action. (Photos by Minenna Photography)
UPPER LAKE — The St. Bernard Crusaders made the most of Upper Lake's mistakes to upset the Cougars 3-1 in the North Coast Section Division 3 girls soccer championship game on Friday night at Upper Lake High School.
Upper Lake's Ashlyn Rhodes maneuvers around a St. Bernard's play. Rhodes scored the Cougars' lone goal with an assist from teammate Nya Marcks.
It's the second straight season the Eureka team has beaten the top-seeded Cougars in the Division 3 final – last year it was a 5-2 win at Upper Lake. The loss also deprived Upper Lake of an undefeated season as the Cougars entered play 23-0-2.
The Crusaders (7-5-3) took a 1-0 lead into halftime. Upper Lake erased that defict within the first minute of the second half as Nya Marcks fed teammate Ashlyn Rhodes for a game-tying goal.
St. Bernard then capitalized on a hanful of Upper Lake miscues to score what proved to be the game-winning goal as well as an insurance goal a few minutes later.
"We made some little mistakes and St. Bernard capitalzied," Upper Lake head coach Daniella Santana said. "The game just got away from us."
Upper Lake, the undefeated North Central League II champion this season, beat Ferndale 3-2 in overtime on Wednesday to earn a berth in the finals. No. 2 seed St. Bernard, the Humboldt-Del Norte Little Four winner, edged Mendocino 2-1 in its semifinal Wednesday.
"It was a good game and an alright way to end the season," Santana said.
The St. Bernard's keeper stops a shot on goal by Upper Lake as Upper Lake's Tristin Rhodes (2) looks on.
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