Prep girls’ soccer: Lincoln continues dream run, knocks off McClatchy in semifinal

What are the playoffs without an upset?

No. 11 Lincoln provided the drama Friday in a packed McClatchy stadium as the Trojans from Stockton continued their fairytale run to the Division I girls’ championship game with a 3-0 win.

After the opening kickoff, star striker Kaitlyn Garcia received a through ball down the left side and powerfully sent the ball low into the back of the net. Garcia did the same play again with a quick dribble to make it 2-0 at the 17th minute. A consolation goal came late in the second half with a tap-in by midfielder Miette Sessions.

This Lincoln team was too much to handle.

Coach Matt Kusanovich, known for his calm and cool demeanor throughout the game, said his team has traveled all over California going as far as San Diego to take on some of the state’s best schools.

He says that that made all the difference in their dream season.

“I think by playing those tough teams down south enabled us to be able to be successful in the playoffs,” he said.

Top-scorer Kaitlyn Garcia agrees with her coach.

“Probably the best season yet. We went to San Diego early in December and it was really the most memorable experience I’ve had in high school,” she said.

Garcia plans to attend Delta College, where she will start playing later this spring while continuing her education at Lincoln. Garcia was her league’s top scorer with 31 goals in the regular season.

Lincoln finished as runners-up in the Tri-City Athletic League but have found their way past third-ranked St. Francis and now second-seeded McClatchy. They are a tough team for anybody, and at this point nobody will be taking them lightly, forget about the seed.

It was a tough game for McClatchy and the spirited crowd of about 500 people. School spirit was evident when the baseball team, practicing nearby, decided to pack up early to watch the game. Loud and proud, the baseball players joined the other fans to encourage their team.

Lions coach Katarina Ulan was emotional after the loss but said her girls achieved a lot this year.

“These girls have tenacity. They were resilient throughout the year and most of them are underclassmen,” she said.

Ulan is proud of this team. Asked to pick a key player, she couldn’t single out just one star: “If we score six goals in a game, we have six different goalscorers. We’re dynamic,” she said.

McClatchy went undefeated in the Metro Conference League as league champions winning 14 total games all while taking down the likes of River City and Monterey Trail.

As small consolation for next season, these girls are going to be ready for next year.

The Lions have eight freshmen and only 3 seniors. Some 88 percent of the squad is underclassmen. Even top scorer Molly Silva is a junior. And the team gets a little more experience with a berth in the NorCal tournament, which starts in two weeks.

What can we expect for next year?

“Hopefully more of the same,” Ulan said, “I hope to be in the same spot next year at this time, getting into playoffs, getting deeper into playoffs. You know, being that we have a good core, we will be able to keep the majority of our girls and keep them healthy. Hopefully, we get to the same spot next year and win the final.”

Lincoln will face top-seeded Oak Ridge in the final on Thursday at Heart Health Park in Cal Expo.

This story was originally published February 19, 2022 at 3:19 AM.