REV wins shootout, advances to semifinals

REDLANDS – The sweetest sound for the Redlands East Valley High girls soccer team on Tuesday night in an overtime playoff victory was not cheers. Nor a whistle.

It was the unmistakable doink of a penalty kick hitting the right bar of the goal to end a shootout.

The sound of victory.

Bishop Montgomery of Torrance’s miss gave REV – tied with the Knights 1-1 after regulation and two 10-minute overtime periods – a 4-3 edge in penalty kicks, and the triumph. It sends the Wildcats to the CIF-Southern Section Division 4 semifinals at 5 p.m. Saturday at Redlands High against La Mirada.

“I knew I was going the right way,” said REV goalkeeper Bella Harley-Bianquini. “I saw where her foot was, and I knew the ball was going to the post. That’s why I didn’t really move. But if it ricocheted, I was going to dive for it and hit it out.”

Instead, the ball hit all iron, sending the balance of the REV team sprinting toward Harley-Bianquini where they danced and hugged and screamed.

“It felt amazing,” Harley-Bianquini said. “Shoutout to Redlands East Valley fans and families. Thank you for coming out, and we’re going to win CIF.”

REV, with seven-plus minutes left, didn’t even look like it could win this game. The Wildcats (11-10-3) trailed 1-0 against a team that had four consecutive shutouts and six shutouts in the past seven games.

But REV’s Violet Leslie ended all that, finding a ball in front of the goal and heading it into the net. 

“It snuck over everybody, and I barely tapped it with my head,” Leslie said. “I was so happy that we tied it and had an opportunity to win and move on.”

The shootout was tense. Maggie Whittemore led off for REV and calmly put the ball in the net. Harley-Bianquini blocked the Knights’ first two shots, but REV’s next two shooters missed to level the proceedings.

The next two players for each team made the net flutter, setting up the pivotal sixth kick for each team. Caitlyn Bernard coolly converted for REV, then Bishop Montgomery (12-6-1) found all iron with its final shot, ending the marathon.

In an instant REV players were dancing and screaming with delight before lining up to shake hands with the Knights.

“I was nervous,” Bernard said of the winning penalty kick. “I didn’t make up my mind (before) where to shoot it, I just went for it. Now I feel proud.”

The same goes for Leslie who used her head in the best way to tie the game for REV in the 73^rd minute. Her goal came after a Wildcat corner kick.

“It feels amazing,” Leslie said. “I never thought we’d get here and I’m so happy.”

Leslie was no more delighted than REV coach Christina Priester-Reyes who watched her team finish third behind Citrus Valley and Beaumont in the Citrus Belt League and win its first two section playoff games before getting blanked in the first 73 minutes of this game by a smothering Knight team.

“We are the comeback team,” Priester-Reyes said. “It’s not the first time we’ve been behind. I was confident in my team. They battle and they’re scrappy and they’re not going to give up.”

That confidence flowed into the penalty kick session, the REV coach said.

“I was happy,” Priester-Reyes said. “After what I saw (Monday) in practice, I wanted to go to PK’s. Harley-Bianquini was on fire in practice. She just has years and years of training in what she does.”

Prior to the shootout, Harley-Bianquini leaned against the bar of the goal in her fluorescent green uniform and spent a quiet moment. Then she leaped and touched the top of the goal before stopping Bishop Montgomery’s first two efforts.

“I just kept doing what I’ve done since I was 9 years old,” Harley-Bianquini said. “I just kept my head in the game and made sure to dive for everything.”

Kailyn Magpoc scored the only goal for Bishop Montgomery in regulation with a shot from in front of the goal in stoppage time.

Down 1-0 in the 52^nd minute, REV had two shots on goal repelled by Bishop Montgomery’s goalie.

REV’s next opponent, La Mirada (12-8-3) was tied with visiting Beaumont through regulation and two 10-minute overtime periods. The Matadores defeated Beaumont 4-2 on penalty kicks.   

Coachella Valley of Thermal (20-2-2) is at Sage Hill of Newport Beach (11-3-0) in Saturday’s other semifinal.

As for REV, it has been an uphill grind all season. The Wildcats lost their first six games before winning 11 times in their final 18 contests, including three ties.