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| One win away from section championship |
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| Written by Marc Aceves | Patterson Irrigator | |
| Friday, 14 November 2008 | |
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Tigers go to Stockton to chase elusive title The Patterson High boys soccer team has earned its shot at redemption. Edgar Martinez’s goal in the opening minute of the first overtime period gave the Tigers a 2-1 victory over visiting Riverbank on Thursday in the semifinals of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division V playoffs. With the win, Patterson (22-3-1) advances to the section title game against Linden on Monday at Lincoln High in Stockton. It’s the second year in a row the Tigers will have a shot at the title. Patterson has faced Linden this season, beating the Lions 8-0 in the season opener. Despite that humbling loss, Linden (20-4-1) went on to win the Mother Lode League championship this season, then knocked off defending section champion Livingston in penalty kicks Thursday. “I thought that we pretty much dominated 90 of the 100 minutes of this game,” Patterson coach Greg Hartsell said. “There were a few shots that didn’t go our way. “But the opportunities that we did have went straight to their goalie, or their goalie made a really good save.”  AIR DEFENSE: Patterson High’s Eduardo Lopez jumps high to pull down a threatening kick from an Amador player during the Tigers’ 2-0 win over the visiting Buffaloes on Tuesday. Patterson moved on to the section title game with a win over Riverbank on Thursday. Photo by Elias Funez “We had a couple of players get in there and really make the most of their opportunities,” Hartsell said. “Today, they came through at the right time.” A scoreless second half gave way to a pair of 10-minute overtime periods. During the first, Martinez found himself all alone and in front of Riverbank’s goal. He calmly collected the loose ball, turned and fired an arching shot, scoring from nearly 10 yards out. The Bruins were unable to answer. “That was the biggest goal of my life,” Martinez said. “(Thursday) we played our best game of the season. We are going for the whole thing now.” Thursday’s win came on the heels of a first-round shutout of Amador on Tuesday. Patterson defeated the visiting Buffaloes 2-0 behind goals from Heriberto Hernandez and Rodrigo Aldana. “Everybody came into the playoffs with their heads in the game,” Rangel said. “We were ready to play, and it was a 100 percent, go all-out effort from everyone.” By most standards, Patterson enjoyed a solid season last fall. Like this season, the Tigers claimed the WAC title and reached the section finals.  Rodrigo Aldana controls the ball amid a trio of Amador defenders. Photo by Elias Funez For a program that measures success in wins and losses, that meant the season was — for the most part — an underachievement. Patterson spent the 2008 season chasing redemption. On Monday, the Tigers will get another opportunity to walk away champions. They might also get the chance to exact revenge on the same team that ended their season a year ago. “I’d think that this season was a failure if we didn’t get to the section finals game,” Hartsell said. “Now that we’re there — if we win, incredible. “If we lose — well, we’ve still had an incredible season.” Monday’s game will be played at Lincoln High in Stockton at 7 p.m.
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