COVINA – In the 60 years that the CIF Southern Section has been holding championship soccer games, the Covina boys soccer team had never made it to the finals until Saturday.
The top-seeded Colts got a golden goal from freshman Joseph Solano with 28 seconds left in overtime for a 2-1 win over second-seeded St. Pius X-St. Matthias in the CIF-SS Division 7 final.
The Walk off! Covina’s Joseph Solano scores with the sudden death game winner, Colts defeat St Pius X/St. Matthias 2-1 in OT for the CIF-SS Division 7 title. pic.twitter.com/oM7xwv7gaH
— Fred J. Robledo 👨🏻💻 (@SGVNSports) February 25, 2024
Covina’s Joseph Solano is just a freshman, but he scored the goal of a lifetime in sudden death to lead the Colts to a 2-1 victory and Division 7 title. He talked about it pic.twitter.com/Wygpq79ppC
— Fred J. Robledo 👨🏻💻 (@SGVNSports) February 25, 2024
“That was an amazing moment,” Solano said. “I”m a freshman and to come here and to step up and show that even though you’re the youngest and the smallest guy on the field, if you just play with everything you’ve got, it doesn’t matter your size, height, or age, you just play with all your heart, all the time.”
The Colts (17-4-1) advance to the CIF Southern California Regional playoffs that begin Tuesday.
With 45 seconds left in overtime, the Colts got a free kick from 40 yards out.
Junior Kevin Velasquez put the ball right on the box. Solano came out of the scramble in front of the goal and put the ball in the back of the net for the game winner.
“This was a huge win for all of us,” Colts head coach Adrian Zaharie-Stefan said. “This was our first ever championship and we’ve had support from everyone, the fans, the families and the school.”
The Colts had outscored their opponents 13-0 in the first four games of the playoffs and it looked like they would keep up that pace after they scored first, just over two minutes into the game.
The Colts defense caused a turnover deep in the Warriors half of the pitch. Senior Matt Gutierrez got the loose ball, split two defenders and put the ball in the net for a 1-0 lead.
The Warriors tied the game in the 28th minute when Armando Herrera scored from just outside the box.
“This was a tough game from the start,” Gutierrez said. “I was trying to watch the ball, trying to keep them away but, when they scored it got in my head a little and I got down a little bit but I knew I had to lead the team and we had to move forward and we finally did.”
It was the first goal Gutierrez allowed in the playoffs. He has 12 shutouts this year.
The Colts dominated most of the way in the second half but couldn’t get the ball into the net in regulation.
The moment Covina gets its CIF-SS boys soccer championship plaque … and then the celebration pic.twitter.com/R9zTeu8cBz
— Fred J. Robledo 👨🏻💻 (@SGVNSports) February 25, 2024
Covina head coach Adrian Zaharie-Stefan and assistant Rashad Perez-Loa talk about winning the Division 7 title in sudden death OT pic.twitter.com/s1oHb63UMP
— Fred J. Robledo 👨🏻💻 (@SGVNSports) February 25, 2024
“The first 10-15 minutes of the second half we were back and forth,” Zaharie-Stefan said. “Then we started taking control and the guys did a really good job controlling the game. Then in OT Velasquez was 40 yards away and he put the kick right on the box. They missed on the ball and Joseph was right on the ball.”
“That was amazing,” Solano said. “I viewed this from coming from middle school and going to this school and playing and going to CIF and winning. That last-minute goal to win and my whole family here was an amazing thing.”