By Shun Graves
IJ correspondent
PETALUMA >> Branson School striker Ally Hsieh knows a split second can spell doom for an opponent — especially if it’s the NorCal semifinal.
In the 23rd minute Thursday night, Hsieh made a mad dash toward the ball between two defenders. Hsieh’s ensuing shot found the far corner of the net following an assist by Sophia Duran.
“Sophia hit a first-time ball in between the left back and the left center back,” Branson coach Tyler Gottschalk said. “Ally had timed her run perfectly.”
Hsieh’s goal counted as Branson’s only one of the night as the game progressed into a defensive showdown. Seventh-seeded Branson defeated No. 3 Casa Grande 1-0 to advance to the Division II final. Branson (23-1-4) is set to host Marin Academy (15-4-3) in a 1 p.m. Saturday final.
Casa Grande pushed numbers forward as the second half progressed but it never seemed too dangerous for Branson. Whitney Collet and her fellow defenders stymied Casa Grande forward Gabby Gotshall’s attempts to slot a scoring shot from the side.
Branson had some late attempts of its own. Duran shot just wide in the 71st minute after an earlier header by Catrin Howell that Casa Grande’s goalkeeper caught. Unable to double its advantage, the Bulls’ defense had to see out a 1-0 result.
“We play in a very defensive way,” Branson center back Carly Lowe said. “We were prepared for that. We usually just try to get a goal and hold onto it. They’re going to try to be pushy, and from that, we can get counterattacks.”
Sometimes it came down to Branson goalkeeper Patricia DePalma to make the critical save. DePalma, who just received MCAL Player of the Year honors, caught the few late-hour Casa Grande shots that hurtled toward frame.
“Our defense was really strong,” DePalma said. “We were preventing a lot of shots and preventing a lot of opportunities for them to shoot.”
The Bulls had built several opportunities for themselves in the first half. Duran found Hsieh in the 22nd minute for a shot that flew over the crossbar. A minute later, the same setup created a successful goal.
“The person who separates us from other teams is Ally Hsieh,” DePalma said. “If Casa had Ally Hsieh, it would’ve been a completely different game.”
That setup, plus a push from Branson’s forwards, ultimately created an offensive advantage for the Bulls that Casa Grande never fully shook off.
“We were able to switch the ball to our winger, who was able to get space and crosses off,” Branson forward Riley Pearson said. “We had a number of chances in the first half.”
Branson renews its rivalry with Marin Academy in Saturday’s title game. The Bulls defeated the Wildcats 3-1 last week for the North Coast Section Division III title.
“I don’t think I would’ve ever expected the way our season has gone so far,” Branson center back Caitlin Capitolo said. “It’s ending in a success, no matter what.”
