SAN DIEGO — The St. Augustine's men's soccer team completed a huge upset after beating the nation's 4th-ranked Mater Dei monarchs in the CIF state championship game.
The odds were stacked against the St. Augustine boys soccer team as they prepared for their final game of the season. You wouldn’t think so with them heading into the CIF State Championship game with a 21-2 record but, this match was different.
The Saints took on the Mater Dei Monarchs, a team that was ranked first in the state of California, and fourth in the nation. Though the Monarchs seemed to be the favorites to win, the Saints had other ideas.
“We felt confident going into this match,” said sophomore Iain Wagner. “We were locked in, guys were focused and we knew we could win.”
Saints head Coach Brendan Johnston reflected on his team’s mindset going into the match. “I had confidence in the guys because I could tell they were locked in they were, and they were ready for whatever the match was going to throw at them.
The Saints would go on to win the match 2-nil and become CIF State Champions. While this came as a surprise to some, the Saints leaned on the work they put in throughout the season as a testimony to their win.
“I think it would be shocking if you didn’t know our group,” Johnston said. He added, “They worked hard, these guys set the goals they did, and they put in the work. I am just so happy for these guys and that they were able to have this experience.
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