St. Francis’s 6-0 win takes them to a consecutive CCS final

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The Lancers will be competing in their 3rd CCS Division 1 final in 4 years.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>USE THE PROMO CODE almasin30 for a discount on your first subscription</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If there's anything close to being a soccer dynasty, the Saint Francis girls soccer team is about to compete in a third Central Coast Section Division 1 final in 4 years. The St. Francis Lancers took on a determined St. Ignatius team and held them to a 0-0 draw in the first round of league play. The St. Ignatius Wildcats came in with an overall record of 13-4-2 while placing third in league play at 8-2-2. The Wildcats were the only team to not fall to the Lancers as they entered the match at 18-0-1, with the only blemish on their record being a tie against them.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I'm pretty sure the coaches and players from the Saint Francis side had that on their mind. While observing both teams during their warmups, I noticed that the Lancers seemed to be a bit more relaxed when compared to seeing them previously. Coach Carlos Barboza and his staff had their players locked in during warmups as they seemed intent on establishing themselves early in the match.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Warmups:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/2026490847475413300?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <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/2026490847475413300?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Once the whistle blew, both teams started with a flurry of attacks on each end before starting to take on a more sustainable approach to ball possession. The Lancers took the early lead in the opening 14th minute and scored their second goal two minutes later. The Wildcats put up a good fight, but the SF attack was too consistent and precise. At times, the Lancers held possession for more than 45-second spurts. The overwhelming possession play set up multiple high-percentage scoring opportunities, which resulted in a 3-0 halftime lead.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>First Half Highlights:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/2026505760012906670?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <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/2026505760012906670?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The second half was more of the same, but it seemed to have intensified the Saint Francis attack as the team came out like a muscle car firing on all cylinders.&nbsp; The goalkeeping play of both [player_tooltip player_id='111087' first='Anneliese' last='Braun'] (1st half) and [player_tooltip player_id='111094' first='Sophia' last='Malloy'] (2nd) got the shutout as the Lancers scored another three goals in the second half to make it a 6-0 romp. Coach Barboza may have also received his 100th win with this match, but if it wasn't the case, I believe the next match in the final could be it. I will definitely be there to see if they can make it a 3rd CCS title in 3 years.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The battle of the heavyweights is up next, as the St. Francis Lancers will be facing the Los Gatos Wildcats on Friday 2/27/26 at Santa Clara University Stevens Stadium for the 2026 CCS Girls Division 1 Championship match. I've previously covered the Los Gatos team, and I must say, they are one of two teams who I believe can match up against this stacked and peaking Saint Francis team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Featured Players:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Player #1:</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='20049' first='Penelope' last='Correa'] - 2026 - Saint Francis - Forward - [program_tooltip program_id='278033' first='MVLA' last='ECNL'] G08 - Saint Mary's commit</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Player #2: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='19465' first='Grier' last='Gowdy'] - 2027 - Saint Francis - Forward - [program_tooltip program_id='283641' first='De' last='Anza Force'] ECNL - West Virginia commit</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Player #3: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='111089' first='Kaylie' last='Giusti'] - 2028 - Saint Francis - Forward - [program_tooltip program_id='278033' first='MVLA' last='ECNL'] G09</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Player #4 : </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='111087' first='Anneliese' last='Braun'] - 2028 - Saint Francis - Goalkeeper - [program_tooltip program_id='278033' first='MVLA' last='ECNL'] G09 </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Player #5: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='82600' first='Julia' last='Malcolm'] - 2026  - Saint Francis - Midfielder - [program_tooltip program_id='283641' first='De' last='Anza Force'] ECNL G08</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Player Evaluations:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Player #1:</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='20049' first='Penelope' last='Correa'] - 2026 - Saint Francis - Forward - [program_tooltip program_id='278033' first='MVLA' last='ECNL'] G08 - Saint Mary's commit</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["20049"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69a13cfaee329"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">The Saint Mary's commit had a dominating performance while scoring a hat trick to advance her team to a back-to-back CCS D1 Final. She scored goals #1, #3, and #4. With the 1st goal, Penny received a pass just outside of the 18 and slipped by one defender while slipping the ball past the goalkeeper and a second defender. Her second goal came off of a penalty kick from the outer left corner, timing it perfectly while running onto the ball for a driving shot past the GK. Goal #3 was purely based on individual effort to get past 2 defenders with a run to the penalty area for a rocket shot past the GK. Penny was definitely the player of the match, scoring 3 of the Lancers' 6 goals.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Penelope's Highlights:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/2027241966568894815?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <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/2027241966568894815?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Player #2: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='19465' first='Grier' last='Gowdy'] - 2027 - Saint Francis - Forward - [program_tooltip program_id='283641' first='De' last='Anza Force'] ECNL - West Virginia Commit</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["19465"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69a13cfaee39b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">The West Virginia commit was determined to get a goal. Her run up the sideline and into the 18-yard box eventually paid off as she got the 5th goal for SF. It was a nice goal as she checked back to receive the ball while spinning off the defender to strike the ball in stride. I really liked her progression, as I've previously seen her play at the ECNL level. She is definitely showing some strength and technique against top-level competition.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Grier's Highlights:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/2027265026734649585?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <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/2027265026734649585?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Player #3: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='111089' first='Kaylie' last='Giusti'] - 2028 - Saint Francis - Forward - [program_tooltip program_id='278033' first='MVLA' last='ECNL'] G09</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["111089"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69a13cfaee3f4"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">The [program_tooltip program_id='278033' first='MVLA' last='ECNL'] G09 player got goal #6 for the Lancers. A cross was sent from the left touchline in which the goalkeeper tipped towards the top of the 18. Kaylie was in the perfect spot to strike the ball with pace to the back of the net. Her patience and technique were the difference between sending it home or over the top. I like how she played calm throughout the match. I've previously covered her in ECNL matches, and I look forward to seeing her progression at the next ECNL event in Phoenix.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kaylie's Highlights:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/2027270943333372012?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <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/2027270943333372012?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Player #4 : </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='111087' first='Anneliese' last='Braun'] - 2028 - Saint Francis - Goalkeeper - [program_tooltip program_id='278033' first='MVLA' last='ECNL'] G09</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Anneliese's Highlights:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kMM-wjDF-w","type":"video","providerNameSlug":"youtube","responsive":true,"className":"wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kMM-wjDF-w </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Player #5: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='82600' first='Julia' last='Malcolm'] - 2026  - Saint Francis - Midfielder - [program_tooltip program_id='283641' first='De' last='Anza Force'] ECNL G08</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["82600"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69a13cfaee44b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">She scored the Lancers 2nd goal two minutes after the opener. A power shot was deflected back to the shooter, who tapped the ball to Julia for a rocket shot near the right post. Her quick and precise passes helped to give SF the possession advantage. She's a smart player who finds players in open pockets.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Julia's Highlights:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/2027248950072488293?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <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/2027248950072488293?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed -->