GILBERT — All season, the calling card for the Salpointe Catholic girls soccer team has been its defense. It was a project coach Becky Freeman began working on immediately following a loss to Scotts-dale Notre Dame Prep in the 2016 state championship, and one that she’s continued to tinker with throughout this season’s playoffs.
As it turns out, Freeman’s offense isn’t bad either.
The No. 4-seeded Lancers beat No. 2-seed Phoenix Thunderbird, 4-0 on Saturday to win the Class 4A state soccer championship at Gilbert Williams Field.
“We definitely kind of exploded up front,” Freeman said. “We were able to combine, score goals and take advantage of those opportunities.”
Salpointe (19-3-2) dominated from the start, attacking early and often. However, Thunderbird goalkeeper Kiara Pasillas — in for usual starter Kayla King, who dislocated her shoulder in pregame warmups — didn’t waver as the game remained scoreless through the first 10 minutes.
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Kate Connelly scored Salpointe’s first goal with 23:07 left in the half, thanks to a feed from Jiaying Brust and Kalista Kakou.
Kakou found Catalina Alvarado with a nice cross 5 minutes into the second half for an insurance goal.
Paloma Teran scored with 20:14 left. Then Kakou got on the board herself.
The win was “very sweet,” Freeman said. “It’s a little surreal, but we feel blessed to be back in the state game. These girls have worked so hard to be in this position and now win it all this year.”
Coronado boys top Salpointe in PKs
GILBERT — Scottsdale Coronado’s David Flores had already made a few critical saves in Saturday’s 4A Conference boys soccer state championship game. He saved his biggest one for when it mattered most, in the final game of his high school career.
Flores guessed correctly to knock away Bernardo Rebeil’s shot in the penalty kick shootout, and Bryan Delgado scored the clinching PK to give Coronado a 4-3 win over Salpointe Catholic at Gilbert Williams Field. Coronado earned its second state soccer title.
“I can’t explain it. In penalties, it’s 50-50,” Flores said. “I just took a chance to the left side. I had a lot of pressure, but I knew I could do it for my team.”
Salpointe scored two second-half goals and another in the first overtime. Salpointe led 2-1 early in the second half after trailing 1-0 at halftime.
Freshman Carlos Mendoza gave Coronado a 3-2 lead less than five minutes into the first overtime, scoring from long range off a throw-in. But Salpointe’s Reed Foster headed in a loose ball to tie it at 3.
Neither team could score in the second overtime or in the two sudden-death five-minute periods, and penalty kicks were needed to decide the champion.
“If anybody would have told me before that you’re going to score three goals and then not win it, I would have said, ‘Get your head examined,’” Salpointe coach Wolfgang Weber said. “I’m sure they felt the same way. It was really one of the better high school finals I’ve witnessed in quite a while. Both teams left it all out on the field, and we just came up a little short.”
Top-seeded Coronado (16-3-1) completed a 13-game unbeaten streak with the state championship. Salpointe (20-4-1) had won two playoff games in overtime before Saturday.
Nick Snow, The Arizona Republic
Jose Romero, The Arizona Republic
