SOQUEL >> Three days after Soquel High’s girls soccer team won the program’s first Central Coast Section title, the Knights found themselves battling for their postseason lives in the CIF Division IV NorCal Regional playoffs on Tuesday.

But the No. 2 seeded Knights, who played at a frenetic pace for much of the opening 60 minutes, settled down and re-established their chemistry and created some more postseason magic.

Senior forward Isela Gonzales registered a goal and an assist in the final seven minutes, and the Knights escaped with another historic outcome, a close-than-it-looks 4-1 win over No. 7 San Rafael in the quarterfinals.

“It’s really big,” said Gonzales, of the victory. “It’s a big accomplishment for not just me, but my whole team. I feel like we work our (butts) off out here and it really shows. And I’m just really proud of this team.”

Sophomore forward Lynaea Vallett had two goals and an assist.

It was not only the Knights’ first NorCal win, it was the first time any girls soccer team from Santa Cruz County has won a NorCal playoff game since they were first waged in 2018.

With it, the Knights (15-4-3 overall) advance to the semifinals. They host No. 3 Sacred Heart Prep (12-7-3) of Atherton on Thursday at 5 p.m.

The Gators champion of the West Bay Athletic League’s Foothill Division and the CCS D-V title, blasted No. 6 Sonoma Valley 5-0 in the quarterfinals. In four postseason matches, the Gators have outscored opponents 26-0.

No. 4 Petaluma (14-7-3) plays at No. 1 Fresno Christian (18-2-0) in the other semifinal Thursday.

All through the CCS playoffs, Soquel coach Jose Sierra and 10th-year San Rafael coach Nichole Caiocca detailed their teams’ playoff runs on Instagram and engaged in dialogue. Needless to say, both were pleasantly surprised when the NorCal seedings came out Sunday and they listed as opponents.

Sierra coached Caiocca for two championship seasons at Santa Cruz High in the early 2000s and both were part of the same induction class for the Cardinals’ Hall of Fame. They embraced before their teams warmed up for the match.

It was the first NorCal match in both teams’ history, and the Bulldogs’ fans traveled well. A couple hundred fans cheered passionately for their respective teams for the duration. But good soccer is good soccer, and Gonzales drew a reaction out of every fan with her jaw dropping foot trap in the 73rd minute.

Gonzales hauled in a 30-yard pass from defender Haily Betterman with her waist-high trap and dropped the ball to ground while in stride. She turned on the afterburners to earn some separation from the defender previously attached to her left hip and worked the ball to the right edge of the penalty box. From there, she unleashed a bullet cross that Vallett finished off for her second goal of the match.

“She just dropped it like a dime; it was controlled, with poise and a lot of confidence,” Sierra said. “And then to turn and take the player down the wing and cross it … that was just a beautiful play.”

Gonzales said she’s never made a trap like that in her life.

“I was really surprised with myself,” she said. “And really proud at the same time. I got it on the outside of my foot. I was really shocked. … I’m really proud that my team was there to get it in, and glad that cross was beautiful, and right in the goal. We got all the confidence right back up and scored again.”

Just five minutes later. And again, there was another sensational first assist, albeit unintentional.

Vallett advanced the ball on the left side and sent a powerful cross to her right. Sophomore forward Caitlin Curly, at the top of the penalty box, realized the ball wasn’t intended for her, and opted against being beheaded, so she ducked and the ball caromed off her back to Gonzales.

Gonzales sandwiched by two defenders broke free and launched a shot into the top of the goal.

The Knights led 2-0 at the half, but their lead was a byproduct of individual talent rather than deft passing they’re accustomed to showcasing.

“At halftime, it’s a 2-0 lead, and I told the girls, ‘It’s closer than you guys think,’ ” Sierra said. “The message was control the ball, and then we struggle coming out in the second half. We made a couple of changes. And when that third goal came, then we settled the ball. We were knocking the ball around; that’s how you’re gonna win games.”

In the ninth minute, midfielder Trinity Wilson dumped the ball to her left about 35 yards off the end line in the Knights’ attacking zone. Vallett gathered it, raced to into the penalty box, and fired in a successful shot past goalie Emely Chacon to the far post from point-blank range.

Kendall Kroeker sent a nice cross to Vallett in the 27th minute, but Vallett deflected off a defender out of bounds on the end line. Seconds later, senior midfielder Chloe Izenstark headed in a corner kick from senior Arden Salles.

The Bulldogs, despite facing a two-goal deficit, never stopped being, well, bulldogs. They anticipated well, intercepted passes, and counterattacked with great speed.

They were finally rewarded for their relentless play in the 49th minute, when senior midfielder Rachel Iredale finished off a corner kick from Darby Fones.

“We started a little slow in the first half, in my opinion,” Caiocca said. “But then showed up in the second half. We kinda had that moment where it went 2-1 and it was like, ‘OK, this is anyone’s game at this point,’ and then they (the Knights) turned the corner.”

The next 10-15 minutes was played at a frenzied pace, leaving fans on the edge of their seat and screaming wildly.

Soquel had two great chances in the 62nd and 64th minutes. Vallett dribbled through three defenders into the box, but Chacon made a sensational save from point-blank range. Two minutes later, Chacon made a great stop on a shot from Gonzales.

Chacon and Soquel goalie Bethany Mansfield each finished with five saves.

“The hard part for me, and I was telling the girls this, it didn’t feel like 4-1,” Caiocca said. “Again, hats off to them. They put their chances away. But it definitely felt much closer than that.”