Ripon Christian girls soccer defends Sac-Joaquin Section D-VII crown

Sam Carvalho found space in the penalty box, rose above the crowd and punched Ripon Christian’s name into the Sac-Joaquin Section history book Saturday.

The junior captain scored a thundering header in the 44th minute and anchored a stonewall defense as the Knights successfully defended their Division VII championship with a 1-0 victory at Spanos Stadium.

Forest Lake Christian (14-6) put up an admirable fight in the wake of heartbreaking adversity. Freshman Anna O’Neill was killed in a car accident involving her sister, defender Emily O’Neill, and father Wednesday evening following the Falcons’ semifinal victory over Western Sierra of Rocklin.

“It’s exciting every time you win a section championship. It brings some prestige to the program,” Carvalho said, “but in light of what happened this week to Anna, you’re almost rooting for the other team to win.”

Emily O’Neill played Saturday – and so did Forest Lake Christian, keeping the Division VII final in doubt for 44 minutes.

“It’s a championship game. No one gets here by accident,” Ripon Christian coach Kevin Tameling said. “I told Forest Lake, they’re like a clone of our program. They play all out and aggressive.”

Carvalho changed the trajectory of the match, soaring through the box for the winning goal.

On a morning when state scoring leader Abby Buitrago was neutralized by the Falcons, Ripon Christian’s unheralded supporting cast assumed the controls, steering the small private school to its second consecutive section championship.

Bryanna Heida had one save, and central defenders Jessica Van Vliet and Paige Vos snuffed out the Falcons’ attack. Carvalho and Van Vliet owned the airways in front of the Forest Lake Christian goal, creating the Knights’ best chances with their heads.

“We’re all so athletic and determined to get there first,” Carvalho said. “We’re so aggressive, nothing is going to keep us from the ball.”

The corner kick was whipped in by Buitrago, her 11th assist of the season. Carvalho redirected the header into the right corner of the cage, atoning for a miss earlier. She was denied by Forest Lake Christian’s goalie in the 25th minute.

“Abby sent in the perfect cross. I saw it early and put it right where I wanted to,” she said. “I really wanted to put the ball in the back of the net.”

The teams went at each other early, trading scoring chances in an entertaining first half.

Buitrago showcased her speed and touch in the 14th minute. The state’s leading scorer with 42 goals won the ball deep in her zone and carried it three-quarters of the field, pushing past three defenders as she went.

Her shot was harmless, though, a left-footer into the belly of the goalie.

Eight minutes later, Forest Lake Christian celebrated what it believed was the first goal.

Heida was beaten between the legs with a shot by Kindra Goodman but wheeled back in time to keep the slow-rolling ball from crossing the line.

While Goodman stood stunned in the midfield, searching for an explanation from the linesman, the Knights (19-6-1) went on the counter. Carvalho drilled a header low and to the post, but the shot was punched wide.

Her time was coming.

“Forest Lake is so good in the air, (but) Sam found some space at the back post,” Tameling said. “She was in the right spot.”

This story was originally published May 16, 2015 at 12:38 PM with the headline "Ripon Christian girls soccer defends Sac-Joaquin Section D-VII crown."