Notre Dame Gets Hurt by Crespi in Injury Time

Erick Balderrama of Crespi High, scoreless through the first 11 games of Mission League play, burst out of his slump with the biggest goal of his career.

Balderrama scored during injury time, lifting the Celts to a 2-1 victory over Notre Dame on Friday, denying the Knights their first Mission League boys’ soccer championship since 1992.

St. Francis claimed the title.

“I don’t know what to say,” Balderrama said. “I’ve been scoreless in league. I knew this could have been my last high school game and I didn’t want it to end.”

The Celts (17-5-1, 8-3-1 in league play) finished in a three-way tie for second place with Notre Dame (13-8-1, 8-3-1) and Loyola.

The tiebreaker gives the Celts the No. 2 seeding for the playoffs, with the Knights No. 3. Loyola hopes to be awarded an at-large berth.

Balderrama’s goal came when he ran onto a pass from defender Jay Duffy, beating goalkeeper Chris Alexander to the ball and touching it into the open net.

“It could be harder [to win the Mission League than to win a Southern Section title],” said Crespi Coach Rob Kodama, whose team defeated the Knights twice in the same season for the first time.

“I said from day one that there are four teams in this league that could win [a section title].”

The Celts nearly didn’t when they fell behind, 1-0, and were forced to play on their heels, resisting numerous attacks led by Jimmy Sharp and Nick Folk.

Three minutes after Sharp headed in a pass from Folk in the ninth minute, a mistake by Alexander let the Celts back in the game.

While standing on the goal line Alexander bobbled a routine save in the box. Sean Canel of Crespi jumped on the loose ball and scored.

“No disrespect to Crespi,” Notre Dame Coach Colm McFeely said. “They are a very good team, but Crespi didn’t win the two games against us this season. We gifted them those two games.”