CCS D1 Semifinals Match - Top Ranked Bellarmine Tops Westmont

It was a great night for a semifinals match at the Brigit Whims Memorial Field in San Jose, CA. The Westmont Warriors came into this playoff match as the 10th ranked team in the Central Coast Section (CCS), with an overall record of (15-4-1). They were the 1st place team in a highly competitive BVAL (Blossom Valley Athletic League), Mt. Hamilton Division (A-League) with a record of (11-2-1) in league play. They would need all of their weapons to take down the #1 CCS team and the 23rd-ranked team in CA.   The Bellarmine Bells were the 1st place team in the super competitive West Catholic Athletic League (WCAL). They have an overall record of (16-2-3) and a league record of (11-1-2). They also had a really good season, and their only loss in league competition was to Archbishop Mitty, the 2024 NorCal Division 1 champions. The Bells knew that this was going to be a high-stakes match with the winner getting a ticket to the final. This match had all of the makings of an All-Star game or college style of play. High-tempo, counter-attacking, possession-based play and hard tackles were highlights throughout the match.   Right off the bat, both teams came out firing on all cylinders. The speed of the game was a sight to see, while the passing combinations were crucial elements in getting both teams into scoring range. The Bells Jason Gore opened up the scoring with a run from the right sideline, then he angled in by cutting between two defenders before sending it past the goalkeeper. It was a beautiful finish as he seemed to have shifted into another gear before splitting the defenders in the 8th minute.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1894588752657617326 </div></figure>   Other Bellarmine standouts were midfielder Matthew Elliot, striker [player_tooltip player_id='277899' first='Gregory' last='Gutierrez'], Aiden Dempsey, and Ben Sutton. Elliot was a key figure on offense, and he made his presence on the defensive side with recoveries and hard, clean challenges. Gutierrez was their high-pressure and speedy striker. He had a really good game and made quick and precise passes to diagonal and overlapping runners. His best play in the match was getting the assist on the Dempsey goal. Gregory received a chip pass from a winger; he then fired a shot that deflected off a player to Aiden, who sent it home in the last 5 minutes of play. Sutton was the anchor in the backfield. Aside from his ability to shut down defenses, he started counterattacks with quick, precise passes, and he contributed to the 2nd goal.   <a href="https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1894615818727821560">https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1894615818727821560</a>   The standouts for the Warriors were GK Kevin Pastrana, midfielder Taku Nomoto, defender Ian Froman, and right wing Sebastien Aranda. Pastrana made multiple saves to keep his team in the match. His shot-stopping skills kept at least 3 goals off the board. Taku Nomota was a solid player in the middle of the pitch. His ability to play on the offensive and defensive sides is noteworthy. He was essentially a box-to-box player who made good decisions with possession and tracked down players on the defensive side. Froman made hard challenges near the touchline and played with poise usually seen in upperclassmen. Aranda has some of the best footwork I've ever seen. His smooth slicing and cutbacks can twist a plot, like an ankle. He also had a few close-on-goal shot attempts, but it was not his day.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1894597384455553190 </div></figure>   All is not lost for the Warriors as they fell to the Bells 2-0. Since they won their opener, HC Matt Schembri and his team will still get a chance at the NorCal tournament as they won their quarterfinal match against Menlo-Atherton in a shootout. As for HC Conor Salcido and his team, they will face off against Everett Alvarez, the 25th ranked team in CA with an overall record of 20-0-2. They have scored 67 goals, with only 16 goals against. They are coming off a penalty kick shootout victory. I will definitely be there for the championship match on Friday, February 28th, at Santa Clara University at 7:00pm.   https://x.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1894578785988874525   <a href="https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1892981725791179019">https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1892981725791179019</a>    Was a key figure on offense, and he made his presence on the defensive side with recoveries and hard, clean challenges. Really good at shutting down runs in the channel and 50/50 challenges.  He is a smart player who anticipates diagonal and overlapping runs to the box.  He uses quick and decisive movements to position himself in the attacking lanes.  Elliot also made some runs to the attacking third during counter-attacks.  He has the ability to recover back into his natural position, but can easily run the sides as a winger.  He definitely is a big part of their defense which has 6 clean sheets.     Was the anchor in the backfield. Aside from his ability to shut down defenses, he started counterattacks with quick, precise passes, and he contributed to the 2nd goal. A very strong center back who stifled attacks in all areas near the goal, dominated in the air (50/50), connected with streaking forwards during attacking transitions from the defensive third with precise passes. Communicated well with the other center back and other defensive players to draw opposing forwards offside.     Made multiple saves to keep his team in the match. His shot-stopping skills kept at least 3 goals off the board. He made some close range shot stopping saves. He also went up high to make clearing saves and read the attacking angles well. Taking on attackers in 1v1 challenges are one of his strengths. He plays club soccer for Almaden FC.     Was a solid player in the middle of the pitch. His ability to play on the offensive and defensive sides is noteworthy. He was essentially a box-to-box player who made good decisions with possession and tracked down players on the defensive side. He plays club soccer for Bay Area Surf.     Made hard challenges near the touchline and played with poise usually seen in upperclassmen. He positioned himself between running lanes and took on players in 1v1 challenges. He made some good passes to runners upline and made good decisions when battling for possession. He plays club soccer for Bay Area Surf.     Has some of the best footwork I've ever seen. His smooth slicing and cutbacks can twist a plot, like an ankle. He also had a few close-on-goal shot attempts, but it was not his day. One of the most technically skilled players at his age group. Aranda has a smooth first touch, quick ball release, accurate passing, and great vision for the game. Although he played the left wing position, most passes were set up from his side and he consistently took on his defender and made precise passes up the field and through the lanes.

It was a great night for a semifinals match at the Brigit Whims Memorial Field in San Jose, CA. The Westmont Warriors came into this playoff match as the 10th ranked team in the Central Coast Section (CCS), with an overall record of (15-4-1). They were the 1st place team in a highly competitive BVAL (Blossom Valley Athletic League), Mt. Hamilton Division (A-League) with a record of (11-2-1) in league play. They would need all of their weapons to take down the #1 CCS team and the 23rd-ranked team in CA.