Dublin Boys Soccer Team’s Wild Ride Comes Up Just Shy of NCS Berth

It was a season that was definitely not shy of dramatic moments for the Dublin High Varsity Boys Soccer team. The Gaels were teetering on postseason contention all season and controlled their own destiny to make the North Coast Section (NCS) playoffs heading into their finale with a win over Kennedy-Fremont. However, the Gaels fell short in penalty kicks, ending their season 6-8-7 overall. Despite missing the postseason, there were several thrilling moments to go with other heart-breaking moments for a team where every match seemed to come down to a nail-biting finish.

Saturday’s match at Fallon Sports Park was scheduled just a few days earlier to try and get Dublin to the qualifying .500 overall mark. Dublin finished the preseason 1-0-4 after multiple matches which saw late comebacks and late setbacks. Playing in the highly competitive East Bay Athletic League, the Gaels were 2-6-1 in league play, including a match it won in the final seconds over Amador Valley after overcoming a late 1-0 deficit with under 10 minutes remaining. Dublin’s only path to the postseason was through scheduling several nonleague matches.

The Gaels defeated Tennyson and also outlasted Kennedy 6-3 in a wild affair which also the team overcome an 0-3 deficit to score 6 late goals and keep their season alive. Dublin suffered a setback after forging another tie with Deer Valley, yet was still on the verge of making NCS after taking a 2-1 over Freedom with under 10 minutes remaining last Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately, Dublin gave up a late goal and ended the match in another tie which did not get them closer to the needed .500 mark. The Gaels defeated John Swett earlier this week to create today’s final opportunity.

Although the Gaels dominated most of the match, Dublin once again found itself trailing 0-1 midway through the second half before scoring the equalizer. The Gaels had several chances late, but were unable to find the much-needed goal that would have secured the victory and a postseason berth.

Despite falling short of its ultimate goal, it was certainly a memorable season for all involved. In addition to the Varsity team’s improvement, the Junior Varsity team only lost two matches and had several exciting victories of its own (including a 4-2 win at home against De La Salle). The future is definitely bright for the Gaels.