St. Francis Weathers the Storm and Downs Ganesha, 4-2

Like the clouds that hung over the San Gabriel Mountains above St. Francis High, Ganesha threatened to rain on the Golden Knights’ parade Friday in a Southern Section Division IV boys’ soccer quarterfinal game.

Despite being outplayed early, the Giants (19-4-1) hit St. Francis with what Coach Glen Appels of the Golden Knights called “two bolts of lightning” in the first 18 minutes, but the Golden Knights scored four consecutive times, including three second-half goals, for a 4-2 victory.

St. Francis plays Notre Dame in the semifinals Tuesday, its sixth semifinal appearance in 13 years.

“Coach told us they like to shoot a lot,” said senior midfielder Donovan Schuil of St. Francis, who scored the equalizer four minutes into the second half and the go-ahead goal 16 minutes later. “When [Ganesha] scored the second goal, it wasn’t like, ‘Yeah, it’s over.’

“We had the weapons. We just kept coming at them and coming at them. We just needed a goal before halftime. When we got the second [goal], it put them back on their heels and you could see them getting down.”

Although it was the first time in the playoffs St. Francis (21-5) trailed, the Golden Knights didn’t panic. With senior forward Ryan Shaw directing the offense, it seemed only a matter of time before Ganesha’s wide-open style would lead to a counterattack.

Five minutes before halftime, St. Francis built a quick counter from the back and junior midfielder Daniel Paladini played the ball into open space along the left side of the 18-yard box. Shaw ran onto it, beat one defender and pushed a right-footed shot into the goal.

Shaw had a hand in all four goals. Schuil tied the score, 2-2, when he knocked in a throw-in by sophomore Luke Postlewait. The throw-in came after defender Jose R. Barajas was forced to make a sliding tackle on Shaw as he broke free down the right sideline.

Shaw fed Schuil the ball on a three-on-two breakaway for the go-ahead score. He added the final goal when the Ganesha goalkeeper wandered outside the 18-yard box to try to head a long pass, but instead sent the ball backward, allowing Shaw to head it in for his 77th career goal.

“At halftime I told [the team] that if we get it to 2-2, we’d put a lot of pressure on [Ganesha],” Appels said. “The second goal was the moment we really settled down.

“That wasn’t Mission [League]-style soccer,” Appels said of Ganesha’s penchant for passing deep and not building attacks through the midfield. “We just wanted to keep [controlling the ball].”

Ganesha, which outshot St. Francis, 10-7, scored 13 minutes into the game when Barajas drove in a shot from 40 yards. Rafael Moran made it 2-0 five minutes later on a 25-yard blast. The Giants also hit the post and crossbar and forced Sean O’Connor to make three saves.