The Live Oak girls soccer program celebrate the first section title victory in the programs 24-year history by displaying a “W” with their hands after the Lady Lions beat University Prep 1-0 on Saturday, February 24 in the NSCIF Division II championship.

LIVE OAK, CA (MPG) - The Live Oak girls soccer program made history on Saturday, February 24 in the CIF Northern Section Division II brackets as they beat the University Prep Panthers in a 1-0 victory to claim their first section title win in program history.

Live Oak head coach Jose Acosta expressed to his team after the initial postgame celebration that in the 24-year history of the girls’ soccer program, they were the first to bring a title and will always be remembered for it.

Live senior defenders Maya Goodson (4) and Maria Medina (2) give Lady Lions head coach Jose Acosta a water bath after Live Oak won the NSCIF Division II title against University Prep 1-0 on Saturday, February 24.

The Lady Lions have been in the mix at the top of the NS girls’ soccer programs in the last couple of seasons as they made their third consecutive Division II final.

Acosta told the Herald how happy and proud he is to be the coach of the girls’ team. “They left it all on the field and have put in the work and I’m so happy it paid off,” Acosta said.

Live Oak junior midfielder Johanna Petrone (17) crosses a ball towards the middle of the box in the Lady Lions 1-0 victory over University Prep on Saturday, February 24.

Live Oak was the overall No. 1 seed in the Division II bracket and had the distinct advantage of hosting the championship game on grass compared to the turf that University Prep normally plays on.

Although the surface of the field shouldn’t matter, it does change the pace of play and the way the ball bounces, so in the first half it was a physical match between both teams as the defenses locked down their opponents’ top scorers.

After a scoreless first half, the Lady Lions came out in the second half and kept knocking on the door shot after shot towards the University Prep goal.

Live Oak senior defender Maya Goodson (4) curves a free kick deep inside University Prep territory in the Lady Lions 1-0 win on Saturday, February 24 in the NSCIF Division II final.

In the 61st minute, Live Oak junior midfielder/striker Johanna Petrone lasered a goal off her left foot into the top left corner of the goal to give the Lady Lions the lead and as her teammates quickly rushed her and the Live Oak sideline erupted, Petrone had tears of emotion pour out of joy.

Petrone along with senior defender Maya Goodson and striker/midfielder Mckayla Holmen have been the faces of the program the last three seasons and the trio can now stamp a section ring to their high school resume.

All three expressed that it was a physical game, and they got the best University Prep team you could have imagined that would play for a title.

Goodson and Petrone expressed to the Herald they both made a mistake that caused them to miss the D-II final last season and they gave it their best in the game to get the win.

Live Oak junior defender Ximena Bracamontes (left) and junior midfielder Johanna Petrone (17) hug one another celebrating the Lady Lions first section title in program history on Saturday, February 24.

Goodson told the Herald leaving her high school career as a section champion fulfilled a complete experience.

“Everyone was in tears of joy and knowing that I was part of it was amazing,” Goodson said.

The Lady Lions qualified for the CIF NorCal Girls Soccer Championships and were placed in the Division IV bracket as the No. 8 seed where they traveled to top seeded Marin Catholic this past Tuesday.