Boys Soccer’s run for a championship

  Northwood Boys Varsity Soccer has made an incredible run through CIF-Southern Section Division 1 playoffs, but they aren’t looking back yet.
      After capping off the regular season with a 4-1-3 record in the team’s last eight games, Northwood went on to defeat Rancho Cucamonga and St. Francis in the CIF playoff games, proving their 2nd place Sea View League finish credible.
      Northwood took on Rancho Cucamonga in the first round of CIF on Feb. 18, defeating them 1-0. Junior Jacob Murray scored the lone goal that decided the game, sending the team to a second-round matchup against St. Francis.
      The team played impressively on the road against St. Francis. Northwood pulled away with a 2-0 lead by halftime, thanks to goals by senior Steve Buriek and Murray. Nevertheless, St. Francis answered by scoring two goals of their own in the second half to send the game to overtime.
      However, Northwood was able to put the game away behind a goal by senior Kyle Purzyski in the second overtime.  Next up on the list was San Clemente.
      The team struggled at first on the road against San Clemente, who was first in the South Coast League. San Clemente scored two goals in the first half, including a penalty kick after goalkeeper senior Eric Barnett fouled a Triton in the penalty box. Meanwhile, Northwood had scored nothing.
      But the Timberwolves would not let the score nor the San Clemente crowd daunt them, as Murray drove in a goal seconds into the second half. Freshman Trevor Hyman quickly scored after to tie the game up. Neither team scored in regulation and overtime after that, so a penalty shootout was to decide the game.
      All five Northwood shooters scored in the shootout, including Purzycki, Murray, Hyman, junior Jonathon Shon and senior Tony Fullman. Barnett, who finished the game with eight saves, provided the game-winning save to send Northwood to its first CIF semifinals since 2002.
      However, that was when Northwood won a Division 4 Championship. Now, the team is looking for a Division 1 Championship. The Timberwolves face JSerra Catholic, the Trinity League Champion, at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, March 2 at Meadowood Park. The winner will face the winner of the Edison and Harvard Westlake matchup in the CIF Final.
      Go out to Meadowood on Tuesday to cheer for the team! Do your part to help Northwood make history.