San Luis Obispo High boys soccer team wins overtime playoff thriller

The San Luis Obispo High boys soccer team won in double overtime 2-1 over Cabrillo with a late winner coming from Cole Halfman in the first round of the CIF-Southern Section Division 3 playoffs on Friday night.

Halfman, a senior, received a pass from the midfield, and from the right side of the box cut back onto his preferred left foot and buried the game-winner from the top of the box.

“Your heart kind of stops when you see the ball leave your foot and once it goes in you honestly don’t feel anything. It’s just absolute joy,” Halfman said. “And especially having the whole team run after you and the stands packed, it’s absolutely awesome.”

After a scoreless first half, the Tigers struck first on a Brian Finger goal six minutes into the second half. A big clearance by San Luis Obispo led to Cabrillo’s keeper and the last defender unsure of who would clear the ball. Finger, chasing the ball the entire way, stole the ball and slotted the ball into the empty net.

Cabrillo evened the score 17 minutes later on a penalty by Adonis Osua after a handball in the box.

The sides remained deadlocked in regulation, even after Cabrillo went down a man following a red card. However, in overtime the Tigers found more open spaces to make runs and forced the Cabrillo keeper to make several saves before Halfman’s winner.

“I felt once we got to the extra period that our fitness did take over,” coach James Boscaro said. “We had energy left and we ran at their back line to where they were exhausted and that’s what created our goal.”

The Tigers tried something different, starting three seniors on the front line — Keith McCarty, Finger and Halfman.

“We don’t win the midfield as much when those guys are up front, but CIF is about scoring goals and that’s what we want to do,” Boscaro said.

The two teams had met earlier in the year and played to a 0-0 tie.

The two teams each had multiple yellow cards including Boscaro, Halfman and Finger. Halfman earned his midway through the first half, but regained his composure.

In addition, the Tigers were frustrated in the first half after what appeared to be a hand ball by a Cabrillo defender in the goal went unpunished.

“The coaches are really good at taking us out, letting our heads cool. It was helpful, you kind of calm down and get back in the game. You realize your whole last year of high school is on the line so you take it on your shoulders.”

The Tigers will play at Beckman in the second round of the playoffs Wednesday at 3 p.m.

This story was originally published February 19, 2016 at 8:40 PM with the headline "San Luis Obispo High boys soccer team wins overtime playoff thriller."