Four MCAL girls soccer teams came into the day tied for the sixth and final playoff spot and two of them — Novato and San Rafael High — played each other, both looking for three crucial points to keep those early-season playoff dreams alive.

Novato struck first but San Rafael responded quickly, getting an equalizer from Rachel Iredale then subsequent goals from Ashanti Solano and Jaela Brown to claim a 3-1 home win on Wednesday night.

“This is was one of the teams that we knew we wanted to beat and compete against and this just puts us one step forward to being one of the top six teams to make it to MCALs,” Brown said. “It was a must win for us and we all showed up and played our hardest and I think that really showed with the outcome of the game.”

San Rafael (10-4-0, 1-2-0 MCAL) is tied with Archie Williams for sixth place in the standings and just one point behind Terra Linda for fifth as we approach the midway point of the league season.

“(The win was) hugely important momentum wise,” San Rafael coach Nichole Caiocca said. “Getting an MCAL win is always big, especially now that we’re going to have six teams (in the playoffs).”

Novato (0-9-0, 0-3-0) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the 12th minute after scoring just its third goal of the season. Bridget Dishong played a long ball into San Rafael’s 18-yard box that sailed just over San Rafael’s goalie as she came off her line to make a play on it. Sienna Denmark was quickest to the loose ball and scored inside the far post.

“Bridget, seeing the field, decided to go up and over the line instead of trying to go through the line,” Novato coach Tricia Johnson said. “That made the difference because then Sienna was awake and alert that we can finish this ball, just to make sure it’s in.”

San Rafael responded well to trailing so early in the game, equalizing after a corner kick taken by Darby Fones in the 15th minute. Her service found Iredale for a header in the center of the box to tie the game at 1-1.

“Jaela has created a ton (of corner kicks) for us and a lot of other players have created a ton of corner kicks for us but it’s been something that we haven’t been able to necessarily connect with a ton,” Caiocca said. “So that was a huge moment for Rachel to come in and bury that beautiful header.”

Many of San Rafael’s best moments in the attacking third came from playing balls toward Brown on the right wing. Brown would race by her defender into open space, often winning corners or crossing balls into dangerous spaces.

San Rafael’s second goal came in the 33rd minute when Brown raced down the right side of the field then crossed a ball through traffic in the 18-yard box to Solano, who finished inside the far post.

“I just dribbled it down the line and I heard (Solano) calling for the ball at the top of the box,” Brown said. “She took a great touch and finished it right into the corner. That was a great job by Ashanti.”

San Rafael continued to attack through Brown on the right wing as she forced a save from Novato goalie Cherise Jenkins in the 37th minute and a goal-line clearance by Dishong in the 40th minute.

Jenkins had a pair of big saves against Brown early in the second half to keep the Hornets in the game.

“She played great and made some good saves,” Brown said of Jenkins. “I know she blocked one of my shots — a couple of mine. I think she was really good.”

Novato defender Gabriela Flores had a key block to deny Brown again in the 47th minute but Brown’s goal had been coming as she repeatedly got behind Novato’s defense and into dangerous areas. Brown was in on goal again in the 50th minute and scored to give the Bulldogs some separation.

“Jaela, from last year to this year, has been just such a constant improvement,” Caiocca said. “I’m super proud of her. Her speed and technicality just allow her to go down the line and create a lot of havoc for defenses. For her to take that touch in and actually go at the goalie in that moment and finish, I thought it was a beautiful goal.”

San Rafael had some other chances to extend the lead but Disa Doan made a crucial defensive play for the Hornets in the 60th minute to keep the score at 3-1. Johnson also highlighted the performance that freshman Adriana Cupa had for the Hornets.

“Adriana was just playing the game that you want to see,” Johnson said. “She’s having fun out there just juking them out and megging them a little bit and playing with the ball.”

Aside from the early goal they conceded, the Bulldogs were able to limit Novato’s chances for the rest of the game.

“We’ve had really great senior leadership in Mirabelle Szilagyi, our center back,” Caiocca said. “She was really composed back there. She didn’t have to make any super crazy saves but just her presence and her ability to distribute out of the back for us makes everyone calm and a lot more at ease back there.”