‘I was so excited’: Freshman star Sadie Siedel scores game-winner as O’Dowd reaches NorCal championship game

OAKLAND — Youth is no impediment for Sadie Siedel.

Bishop O’Dowd‘s freshman star brings calm, collected quality to a squad teeming with future college players. But the first-year, who has been a fixture in youth international play for the United States, still stands out.

She did it again Tuesday, scoring the game-winning goal with a clinical finish past Los Gatos goalkeeper Cora Bryant in the 55th minute.

That was the ballgame, as O’Dowd held on despite some furious Los Gatos chances in the final moments and won 2-1 to advance to the CIF NorCal Division I championship, where they will face Buchanan on Saturday in Oakland.

It is the first NorCal championship game appearance for the Dragons one year after they lost to Archbishop Mitty in penalty kicks in the NorCal semifinals.

They didn’t have Siedel that time. They’re thrilled they do now.

“It was fantastic,” O’Dowd coach Mark Savvides said. “She comes inside, the goalkeeper was kind of cheating on the far post, and then she just whacks it near post, hard and low. And as soon as it left her foot, I was directly in line with it, and I was like, ‘That’s in. That’s a goal.’ And the crowd erupts, the fans erupt, the players erupt. It was a really great goal to win us the game.”

O’Dowd (19-0) remained unbeaten in what is turning into a dream season for the Dragons. Down senior stalwart Chloe Keating due to a club conflict, O’Dowd continued to excel thanks to a well-rounded effort kicked off by an early goal from Audrey Lewis in the fourth minute off a cross from Paloma John-Baptiste.

That set the stage for Siedel’s second-half heroics, giving O’Dowd the spark it needed to finish off the game and reach the championship match.

Just don’t expect her to get too amped.

“Abby (Forsgren) had a great pass,” Siedel said, “and I looked up and I saw the goalie wasn’t in the right position, so I just passed it in.”

Anyone could do it, right?

“I was so excited,” she continued. “I was hyped. It was a great (boost), because we were playing so well at the moment. And I think we just needed that to finish through and end the game strongly.”

The defeat brought an end to a breakthrough season for Los Gatos, one where the Wildcats went 19-2-3 and won the CCS Division I championship.

“Losing tonight, we’re bummed and wish it went the other way,” coach Lisa Mitchell said. “But they have a lot to be proud of. Division I champs, NorCal Division I, the first one. They played well from start to finish. We were dealing with some injuries the last couple games. But yeah, we’re a great squad. And they should be proud of their season this year, for sure.

“We definitely have a squad that we can build on. We’re losing nine seniors, you know, this year, but you know, the team has a lot to look forward to. They set a good foundation this year”

Abby Nelson scored the lone goal for Los Gatos in the 12th minute on a right-to-left shot across the box that stretched just past the reach of O’Dowd goalkeeper Parker Bridgeman.

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