Pitman High coach Annabel Rangel is stepping down as head coach of the Pride following the Sac-Joaquin Section Division 2 playoffs.
Retirement will have to wait, however, as sixth-seeded Pitman pulled off a 2-1 overtime victory over No. 13 Golden Valley (Merced) on Saturday, thanks largely to a pair of goals by freshman striker Jasmine De Alva.
The Pride (10-3-4) advance to face No. 3 Rocklin (10-4-5), a 4-0 winner over No. 14 Kennedy (Sacramento). They’ll meet Wednesday at 6 in Rocklin.
With time running out in the second 10-minute overtime period, Pitman set up for a direct kick from about 25 yards out.
De Alva, who scored Pitman’s first goal to tie the score 1-1, placed the ball just outside the penalty arc. She booted the ball over a wall of defenders and, from her vantage point, thought she’d kicked it too hard.
“I thought it was going to go over the crossbar,” said De Alva, a freshman. “I kicked it right at the goalie and I thought she was going to get it. But it went in.”
Pitman fell behind on Gabriela Prado’s goal about a minute into the contest, but finally broke through in the 63rd minute.
“Valeria (Arroyo) was dribbling down the line and passed it to me,” said De Alva. “I took it, took a step toward center, and then I shot it. And it went in.”
The Pride put one in the back of the net a few minutes earlier, but Pitman was whistled for interfering with the Cougars’ goalie, and the score was nullified.
“We had 15 shots on frame throughout the game, and over 15 shots off frame,” said Rangel. “If we would’ve just started off a little better … but the girls were able to snap back and fixed it.”
In other D-2 quarterfinals, No. 2 Woodcreek (Roseville) hosts No. 7 Granite Bay; No. 8 Tracy visits No. 1 St. Francis (Sacramento); and No. 4 Vacaville entertains No. 5 Bella Vista (Fairfield).