While Bishop Amat was coasting to a 6-0 victory over Santa Paula in the first round of the CIF-Southern Section Division 3 girls soccer playoffs Friday, Diamond Bar was finishing an incredible comeback in beating Mayfield 2-1 in sudden-death overtime.
Bishop Amat will meet Diamond Bar in the second round Wednesday at a site to be determined. It’s a rematch of last year’s thrilling quarterfinal won by Amat 4-3 in overtime.
“We know they’re (Amat) a great team,” Diamond Bar coach Matt Brummett said. “We look forward to playing them again.”
Diamond Bar’s Marissa Favela, who made an inspiring return to the team late in the season after battling cancer, scored the game-tying goal in the dying seconds of regulation, then scored the winner on a 35-yard free kick in overtime.
Favela has scored four goals this season.
“It was incredible, I think I was the first on the field I was so excited,” Brummett said. “We haven’t been lucky on set pieces and she doesn’t normally take them. But we let her have it and she stuck it in the upper corner. It was amazing.”
Amat, meanwhile, received goals from six players led by junior Jamie Peters, who had a goal and assist. She scored in the eighth minute and set up Hanna Armandariz for a 2-0 lead in the 28th minute.
Bishop Amat freshman standout Sophia Serafin scored her 28th goal of the season in the 45th minute, and Aleena Garcia, Isabelle Juarez and Madisyn Rodriguez scored in the final 20 minutes to close it out.
“We wanted to jump on top of them, that was the game plan,” Bishop Amat coach Ruben Gonzalez said. “If you give a team confidence, they’re going to continue to battle you.”
Peters and Serafin form a dangerous combination up front, and the chemistry is getting better by the game.
Amat is seeking its fourth consecutive appearance in the division title game and third championship in four years.
“You definitely feel the pressure to keep it going,” Peters said. “You have students always reminding you about last year and the year before. It’s tradition at Amat to keep our winning mentality.
“It’s pressure, but a good pressure.”
Lost in the blowout was how well the Lancers, paced by marking center back Joni Gener, played defensively.
Gener didn’t play on the team last year, but won a title as a freshman and advanced to the finals as a sophomore.
Gener’s speed didn’t allow Santa Paula attackers any breathing room, and the Cardinals got only one decent shot on goal.
“She’s going to be key for us,” Gonzalez said. “She brings that experience and at the end of the day, defense wins championship.”
Gener sounded like a senior full of confidence.
“We didn’t give them a chance to make any moves or score at all,” she said.