Cate Varsity Boys Soccer Falls Short in Thrilling Round 2

February 10, 2024

George Marin ’26 (Left), Ari Seal ’24 (Right)

Heartbreak in CIF SS Playoffs Journey

George Marin scored his 14th goal of the season off an assist from Ari Seal to even the score 1-1. Image by Katie

Coming off an exciting, wet, cold, double OT, PK shootout 1st round win on Wednesday, we traveled south to Irvine to face the Northwood Timberwolves. The ride to Irvine took much longer than expected (3 hours), and we arrived at 3:10pm for a 3:15pm kickoff. The officiating crew informed us that we would be kicking off @ 3:30 to allow us some time to warm up.

By the time most of us ran to the bathroom and began our warm-up, it was 3:20 pm.

When the whistle blew, it was evident that we needed to prepare more. The opponents came out strong & hard from the get-go, and our team had to quickly adjust to the fast tempo and try to settle it down. In the 7th minute of the game, Northwood took the lead.

The early goal put us in a position we’ve never been in this season: down 1 goal early in the game. However, we did not panic, and after a few minutes, we finally managed to get their soccer legs back and create some scoring chances. The hosts held on to their 1-0 lead at the half.

The second half began, and we started to click and gain momentum. In the 52nd minute, George Marin scored his 14th goal of the season off an assist from Ari Seal to even the score 1-1.

The game warmed up as the sun dropped over the horizon and temperature fell, with both teams looking for the go-ahead goal. In the 75th minute, Northwood found the back of the net to take a 2-1 lead. With a few minutes to go, our young men pushed forward in search of the tying goal. We had 2 or 3 good looks but unfortunately could not connect and time ran out on our season.

See gallery of photos below captured in earlier games: