Stoppage Time Game-Winning Goal Sends Bruins to CCS Final!

The Santa Clara Bruins varsity boys’ soccer squad secured its second-straight, nail-biting playoff victory on Wednesday night, Feb. 26. After opening the Central Coast Section (CCS) Division III playoffs with an extremely tense shootout win (1-1, 9-8 PKs), the dramatic climax in round two ended with a brilliant strike during second-half stoppage time.

With the whistle to end regulation coming any second, Bruins junior Ahmad Ayadi scorched a shot off his left foot that bent perfectly over the out-stretched arm of the Los Gatos keeper and into the top-right corner of the net. It was as close to a buzzer-beating goal as you’ll ever see in soccer.

Less than a minute later, the whistle went, and the celebration was on.

“All I was thinking in my head was, ‘It’s the last two minutes of the game. I can’t watch my team go to penalties again.’ I didn’t want to risk that again,’” chuckled Ayadi after the game. “I saw my opportunity and just shot it, and it went in the back of the goal.”

“Ahmad is definitely an underrated player; he is super talented on the ball,” chimed Bruins’ captain Angel Hernandez on his clutch goal-scoring teammate. “He has so much potential and just needs to keep playing.”

“It’s Insane, it’s absolutely insane,” exclaimed Bruins’ defender Ananth Klni on Ayadi’s shooting ability. “Every time he shoots, it’s a threat to go in.”

For Ayadi, his shot went in twice in the semifinal as the junior also scored the Bruins’ lone goal in the first half that put the team up 1-0. The Wildcats would find a 1-1 equalizer in the 63rd minute, setting the stage for Ayadi’s late-game heroics.

“He’s got a hard left shot, and he knows where to put it,” remarked Bruins Assistant Coach John Nunes. “We tell him, ‘If you’re at the 18, swing it man, cuz nobody is going to stop your shot.’”

Seemingly, the only thing stopping Ayadi on the night was the crossbar, as the midfielder had a third shot from distance that rang right off the center bar early in the second half.

Ayadi’s fantastic finishing skills have given the opportunity for the Bruins to finish off a CCS Championship victory. Two years ago, the Bruins got to the final only to lose 1-0 to Lincoln.

“We got there my sophomore year, but we were short by one,” recalled Hernandez on playing for another championship. “Hopefully, this my senior year, we are able to take it home.”

“I’m ready, everyone’s ready, I’m super excited,” beamed Klni on heading to the final. “We’re all ready to go.”

Head Coach Dan Sequeira’s squad has nine seniors this season. Along with the aforementioned Hernandez and Klni, the Bruins have seven other seniors in Edwin Rodriguez, Micah Keegan, Nicolas Triana, Santiago Martinez, Joao Oliveira, Rehaan Karnik and Cesar Hernandez, who are all hoping to ride off into the graduation sunset with a CCS Championship.

Note: Santa Clara lost to Sacred Heart Prep 2-1 in the CCS Championship game on March 1.

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