Central Catholic ended Mountainside's postseason run with a 2-0 win Tuesday, Nov. 10, in the OSAA 6A girls soccer semifinals.
The third-seeded Rams knocked out the seventh-seeded Mavericks, whose three-game playoff run included a win over Metro League rival Sunset and an upset of second-seeded Grant.
Joan VanSandt broke the scoreless tie off a corner kick in the 49th minute, according to the OSAA's semifinal roundup. Claire Sdrulla followed three minutes later with a 30-yard shot into the upper right corner of the goal to make it 2-0.
The win sends Central Catholic (16-1-1) to its first state championship match since 2007, when the Rams were runners-up to Lincoln.
Mountainside entered the playoffs as the No. 7 seed and carved an unlikely path to the final four. In the round of 16, Jada Kirk scored a hat trick, including the go-ahead goal in the first overtime, as the Mavericks outlasted Sunset 4-2. Kirk scored in the 15th and 72nd minutes, then again in the first minute of overtime. Hailey Monson added a goal eight minutes later to seal it.
The quarterfinal was even tighter. Mountainside edged second-seeded Grant 1-0, prevailing 4-3 in a penalty-kick shootout. Monson, Anya Rhode, Kira Deirini and Ava Triplett all converted their kicks.
Central Catholic will face top-seeded Jesuit (16-0-1) in the 6A championship Saturday, Nov. 14, at 4 p.m. at Hillsboro Stadium. The Crusaders, ranked No. 2 in the nation by United Soccer Coaches, beat fifth-seeded Lincoln 1-0 in the other semifinal to extend their unbeaten streak to 52 matches, according to OregonLive.
Saturday's final pits a Central Catholic program reaching the title match for the first time in 19 years against a Jesuit squad going for its fourth championship in five seasons.
