Boys soccer: San Rafael takes down Marin Academy 1-0

Fresh off competing in one invitational tournament and preparing to host its own later this week, the San Rafael High boys soccer team squared off against the program that has been the gold standard in Marin for most of this century.

The Bulldogs picked up a positive result at home against Marin Academy on Tuesday night for the third consecutive time since the start of the 2023-24 season with James Ward scoring to lift San Rafael to a 1-0 victory.

“(Marin Academy) came out and battled,” San Rafael assistant coach Jose De La Rose said. “They were doing an incredible job of battling against us in the first half. They brought a lot of energy to the game. I think from a confidence standpoint this gives us a lot of confidence going into the season and going into some tough games. I think this weekend really helped us find ourselves as a team. We played some really tough competition in Sacramento and that helped us prepare for games like this against Marin Academy.”

Tuesday’s game marked the first meeting between the two teams since the 2024 North Coast Section Division III quarterfinals — a memorable game that saw eighth-seeded San Rafael stun top seed Marin Academy 3-2. The Bulldogs took a two-goal lead inside the final five minutes only to see the Wildcats roar back with two quick goals. Then-senior Angel Hidalgo scored the winner in the final minute of the game.

Ward’s goal came in the 11th minute after Jaedon Higgins Jones forced a save from Marin Academy goalie Jack Murphy.

“(Higgins Jones) had a great control of the ball once the ball was crossed in and he definitely had that chance against the keeper,” Ward said. “It was a 2-v-1 and he was pretty pressured so I knew that I was going to have to position either for the rebound or for the support. When I saw him going for the shot, I knew it was going to be for the rebound so I positioned myself accordingly and made sure I got the strike that was going to come when the keeper fumbled the ball.”

San Rafael created a few other good chances in the first half, highlighted by a string of passes in the 27th minute down the left side of the field followed by a cross that Brandon Perez retrieved near the end line inside the 18-yard box on the other side of the goal. Perez played the ball back to Logan Dean, who forced a strong save by Murphy.

San Rafael looked dangerous going forward but was also able to limit MA to a handful of corner kicks and long-distance set pieces.

“A big factor was communication in the back,” San Rafael defender Osbaldo Vasquez Monteroso said. “Especially this week, we’re talking more as a group. It all starts in practice. Day by day we try to get better in every aspect of the game, offensively and defensively. I feel like today we played as a team. We all did our role and that’s why we have the result we wanted tonight.”

San Rafael created a slew of chances in the second, often attacking out wide then crossing the ball centrally into dangerous areas.

“One reason I think our attack is so successful is because of the trust we have in each other,” San Rafael’s Rayley Cauich Rame said. “We trust to give each other the ball.”

Logan Dean pushed a shot inches wide in the 46th minute then Perez forced a save from Murphy in the 51st minute.

A cross by Dylan Maldonado ricocheted off an MA defender, forcing Murphy into a reaction save in the 54th minute. San Rafael created golden chances to score in the 65th and 72nd minutes but both times MA defenders were able to keep the ball out of the net.

“Even though the goals aren’t going in, they’re still controlling the tempo and dictating the style of play,” De La Rosa said. “I think with a team like Marin Academy that has high-quality players, that’s super important where it feels like we’re controlling the game and we were able to put it away and finish it 1-0.”