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Girls Soccer: Broncos eyeing deep playoff run

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The girls soccer season did not begin at Rancho Bernardo with the first practice in November.

No, it actually started a year ago.

That’s when the Broncos’ season ended abruptly with a 2-1 loss in overtime to Steele Canyon in the San Diego Section Division I semifinals.

“It took me nine days to get over that one,’’ Broncos coach Mark Sidebottom said. “We outshot them 26-6 for the game and 10-2 in overtime before they scored the golden goal.

“We threw everything at them but the kitchen sink.

“I still remind the girls from that team that are playing for me this year about that game as a way to keep them moving in the right direction.’’

Sidebottom’s tactic seems to be working. The Broncos sit atop the Palomar League standings after a spectacular first round of league play.

Included in the round are victories over Poway (4-0) and Westview (3-2) as well as a rare win over Torrey Pines (2-1). The Broncos entered this week with a 10-3-2 overall record.

“This season is going great,’’ said senior center midfielder Amanda Roy. “We’re on a winning streak and we’re in first place.’’

Times, at least for Roy and her returning teammates, are happier than they were after that Steele Canyon loss.

“I could say it took me a while to get over that loss, but I’m not sure I have gotten over it yet,’’ Roy said. “We were good enough to be in the finals. I don’t know about winning it but we should have gotten there.

“The minute that game ended I saw one of the seniors and she was crushed. I was emotional, not with the team but upset because we should have won.’’

So the Broncos set out to make the 2015-16 season one to remember.

The goal may start with winning the Palomar League crown, but Roy hopes it ends with the first CIF title in school history.

“Beating Poway and Westview and also Torrey Pines were huge wins for us,’’ said Roy, who will play next season at UC Riverside. “Even some teachers said they noticed that we beat Torrey Pines because that’s almost never happened, at least not for a very long time.

“I am anxious for the playoffs. Winning league would be awesome. Winning CIF would be even greater.

“We don’t want a repeat of last year. I don’t want to be the senior crying on the field after another tough loss in the playoffs.’’

Unfortunately, Rancho Bernardo and Steele Canyon are not in the same divisions for the postseason. Steele Canyon, which lost last year’s finals to Rancho Buena Vista 3-0, was moved up to the Open Division while the Broncos stayed behind in Division I.

“I would really, really like to meet them again,’’ Roy said. “I know I’d get texts from all the seniors before that game.

“We started the season off in the (Butch Lee Memorial Tournament) at Cathedral and we lost to Mater Dei and Cathedral. It was a rough start.

“All the new players are used to the pace and the way we play now. I think we’re totally comfortable in what we’ve become as a team.’’

And ready to make a run to the CIF finals a year later.

Monahan is a freelance writer.

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