With a 3-1 win over Mountainside on Nov. 4, the Cleveland girls’ soccer team has made history by advancing to the state semifinals for the first time. Lola Pierce, Sloane Jockin, and Ella Cohen each scored a goal for the Warriors in the historic victory. Cleveland will take on West Linn at home on Tuesday, Nov. 7 to determine who will play in the state championship.

Cleveland came into the game with high spirits, after they knocked out Central Catholic in a 1-0 victory on Oct 31. Their opponent, Mountainside, came in off an upset of #5 seed Lake Oswego, the round prior. After a quiet 0-0 first half, both teams found their rhythm near the end of the match. Mountainside opened the scoring, with a one-on-one goal against freshman Keeper Marlowe Rowland. The Warriors responded with 14 minutes left with a goal from Freshman Ella Cohen, equalizing the score at 1-1. The team’s drive didn’t falter, as Junior Lola Pierce also scored to give the Warriors the late lead. In the final minutes of the game, a rocket of a goal from Sophomore Sloane Jockin secured the Warriors a spot in the semifinals; a historic spot.

Surrounding this achievement, the Warriors’ starting goalkeeper, Junior Lloy Bartolotti said “I’m so proud of this team. We’ve worked hard all season, and it’s amazing to see it pay off.” On the upcoming semifinal match, Bartolotti expressed that she was “so hyped.” “It’s been a long time coming,” stated Bartolotti.

One of the Warriors’ center forwards, Senior Amalia Galm, echoed similar excited feelings about this historical achievement. “This is the first time girls soccer has ever made it this far in the playoffs, and I’m proud of how everyone’s doing. I feel like we’re really connected as a team and it’s serving us well on the field. For the Land.” said Galm.

This historical win has pushed the Warriors to the semifinals, which will take place at home on Tuesday, November 7th, at 6 p.m. against West Linn. The Cleveland girl’s soccer team encourages students to “Be there. Be loud. It’s for the land.”