SOQUEL >> Soquel High’s girls soccer team saw its historic postseason run come to a close on Thursday night, when the Knights suffered a 3-0 loss to Sacred Heart Prep of Atherton in the CIF Division IV NorCal Regional semifinals.

On a cool night, the Knights fought hard against a talented, red-hot team, but they were unable to break through. The Gators scored in the second minute, fought off many Soquel forays during a competitive first half and then added a crucial second tally just 30 seconds before halftime. The Knights fought back furiously in the second half but SHP’s midfield and defense were unyielding. SHP added another score late in the game.

“We started off slow,” Soquel coach Jose Sierra said. “We built some momentum to control the ball and sustain the pressure. Unfortunately, they got one back and we just couldn’t connect.”

The Knights (15-5-3 overall) had a stellar playoffs, which included winning the program’s first Central Coast Section crown. They also became the first girls soccer team from Santa Cruz County to earn a victory in the regional playoffs.

Soquel earned the CCS D-IV crown as the No. 5 seed. It upset No. 4 Willow Glen 3-1 in the quarterfinals, No. 1 Fremont 3-1 in the semifinals, and No. 2 Christopher 3-2 penalty kick shootout, in the championship.

“It honestly took us a lot of games to get our connections,” senior defender Chloe McGilray said. “We really kicked it off during CCS. We took advantage of opportunities more. And our communication was better. At the start of the season, we though that winning CCS would be really cool, but we were not expecting it. But Jose (Sierra) said at the beginning of the year, ‘This is the team. We can do it.’ ”

Senior midfielder Trinity Wilson believes the Knights played with more confidence during their CCS run. The highlight was Haily Betterman’s penalty kick shootout save on the final try in the Christopher match on Saturday, resulting in the 3-2 decision that gave Soquel the title.

“It (the CCS title) didn’t feel real,” Wilson said. “Later that night, we said to each other, ‘Did this really happen?’ ”

Soquel also made history with the program’s first-ever NorCal victory, a 4-1 decision over San Rafael on Tuesday. In that game, Lynaea Vallett scored twice and Isela Gonzales and Chloe Izenstark each tallied one.

On Thursday, Soquel was hindered by injuries, as Vallett and talented forward Isis Tumason and midfielder Arden Salles were sidelined. Sierra moved Kaitlyn Gray to midfield and also made some other shifts to try to find working combinations.

SHP was sharp from the opening kickoff. An early Leah Lynch header hit the crossbar and shortly thereafter, SHP scored. Lauryn Masetti took a pass from Averie Sui to break free and blast the ball by keeper Bethany Mansfield, in the second minute.

“That was a rude awakening,” McGilray said. “We really started to focus better after that.”

Soquel played its best soccer in the next 38 minutes. The midfield moved the ball downfield well. Wilson, Gray, Milana Flores, Izenstark, Caitlin Curly, Alyce Javier and Gonzales produced chances. SHP’s defense was busy clearing balls.

Betterman, Ashlyn Brady and McGilray provided tight defense for Soquel.

However, SHP converted a counterattack in the 40th minute. Lauren Bassett took a cross from Lynch, evaded a defender and planted the ball in the back of the net for a 2-0 lead.

“We still had faith,” McGilray said. “We came out strong after halftime. We held them. We moved some players around and we did really well in the second half.”

Curly, Wilson, Gray and Flores led the offense, as the Knights fought hard to get on the scoreboard. But SHP’s back line held firm. Late in the contest, SHP’s Camy Sheldon drilled a long rocket just inside the right post for a goal and the Gators had a 3-0 margin.

“They were great at possession,” Sierra said. “They would drop the ball back and open the field up. Their midfield was strong. Number 14 (Lewa White) distributed the ball so well. They would change the direction of the ball quickly. We had some strong points and Kaitlyn Gray played really well. Our defense has been our strongest point all year. We lost to a really good team.”

SHP (13-7-3) enters Saturday’s regional championship against host Fresno Christian (19-2-0) riding a seven-match win streak. The Gators have outscored opponents 34-1 with six straight shutouts during their streak.

Soquel had its six-match unbeaten streak come to a close.

“We had a great run,” Sierra said. “These girls made history. It was the first CCS championship in school history and I’m proud of them.”