After securing the first playoff win in program history Thursday, West Ranch coach Jared White credited the hard work of alumni in helping get Wildcat girls soccer to this point.
Some of those former players were in the stands at West Ranch, some tracked the game on social media.
None could stand beside the Wildcats back line of Riley Villers-Furze, Emilie Cisneros, Alyssa Lopez and Abby Ashlock as Agoura High attacked relentlessly over the final 15 minutes, threatening to drop the Wildcats to a fourth straight first-round playoff loss.
Cisneros wasn’t having it, regularly heading off Charger chances and clearing the ball out of danger.
Girls soccer: White on Aliyah Satterfield's game-winning goal for @WestRanchHS in the 62nd minute. pic.twitter.com/D7Iie4Uu60
— Signal Sports (@SignalSports) February 17, 2017
Then the final whistle finally blew in a 1-0 win in the first round of the CIF-Southern Section Division 2 playoffs.
“It was crazy,” Cisneros said. “We like were running around in circles, but we did not want any more shots getting past us.”
The relief?
“I took a big breath in and let it out, and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh,’” she said. “Then I jumped into (goalkeeper) Allison Jacobs’ hands.”
The game fell into forward Aliyah Satterfield’s hands in the 62nd minute when she beat an Agoura defender to take control of a long Cisneros pass and shot the ball past the Chargers’ keeper.
“Honestly, I just hit it. I wasn’t super composed. I just wanted a shot,” Satterfield said, “and when it went in, it was a great feeling.”
A different feeling than the one Satterfield, a four-year varsity player, and the Wildcats (12-4-6) were used to.
West Ranch has made the playoffs three times since its first postseason appearance in 2012.
It’s lost its opener by one goal, or in penalty kicks, each time.
Thursday, the Cats turned the corner.
Girls soccer: West Ranch coach Jared White on difference second time playing Agoura. pic.twitter.com/CTW3nIzkMB
— Signal Sports (@SignalSports) February 17, 2017
“It’s something that we’ve been wanting for years,” Satterfield said. “It’s great for us seniors to leave a legacy.”
A legacy important not only to current Cats.
“I was telling the girls that there’s a lot of people before them who put in a ton of work to continue to build the program and set the bar, each and every year, a little higher,” White said. “A lot of them are here today and are paying attention via social network and things like that. A lot of people reached out to say good luck.
“It means a lot to a lot of people.”
Not to Agoura. The Chargers (9-7-4) moved an extra player into its attack in the 69th minute, making for an uncomfortable final 15 for the Wildcats.
“It felt like we had a chance,” said Agoura coach Gabriel De La Cruz, “but their defense came up extremely clutch.”
West Ranch will play the winner of Temecula Valley and Norco on the road on Tuesday.
