Granite Bay gets by Rocklin in PKs, 3-2, to win section soccer title

Coming into the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II boys soccer championship game, top-seeded Granite Bay had a decided advantage over No. 2 seed Rocklin: The Grizzlies beat the Thunder twice earlier in the season, including 4-0 in their second meeting. Someone forgot to tell Rocklin that, as not only did the Thunder take the early 1-0 lead with a goal by Gage Guest, assisted by Brayden Vu, but the Thunder pretty much dominated the game well until the second half. Until Granite Bay's Mason Yzuel, with 8:30 to go, drove a ball into the top corner of the net from about 30 yards out to tie the score. The tie score remained through two 10-minute overtime periods before the Grizzlies won in penalty kicks 3-2 to claim the section banner at Cosumnes River College. Yzuel's goal brought the Grizzlies off the mat. Not only was it a great soccer shot, but it left Rocklin goalie Jayden Kuwazaki no chance of making the save. "I saw the opening and I just took it," Yzuel said. "We hadn't tested their goalie all game and we needed to test him. It was pretty good placement and definitely my best goal of the year. It was a great feeling. "We didn't play great in the first half. They had us locked up and we didn't have many chances. We had trouble getting used to the field, which is 20 yards wider than our home field. In the second half, we got used to it and they couldn't mark me." In penalty kicks, both teams made their first attempt, missed their second and made their third and missed their fourth, as the penalty kicks were tied at 2. Rocklin's Donovan Kuwazaki took Rocklin's fifth kick and Granite Bay keeper Connor Johnson made the dramatic save, leaving the game on the foot of teammate Max Husainzada, who stepped up and drilled the ball into the back of the net. "I had lots of people yelling at me," Johnson said. "I'm just doing it for my guys. They work for me all season and I just put it on the line for them." Said Husainzada, "It feels amazing to have the game-winning kick. It's the best feeling ever. It's probably the biggest game I've played. Right now, I'm fasting for Ramadan and playing in this game. It's all God. God is one." Granite Bay coach Paul Valdez knew Rocklin would be a tough opponent. "We've played Rocklin twice before and they're a great opponent," Valdez said. "I knew they weren't going to quit and I knew they'd keep bringing it, but we came away with the win. "I promised the boys we'd win the section title at the parent meeting before the season and they didn't think they had a chance. As we've been getting closer, they've kept telling me, 'You called it.' Today, I thought they questioned it, but they got it back so it's all good." Winning a section championship was a great feat for the team and the players. "It feels great; it's amazing, the best feeling I've ever had," Husainzada said. "At first we didn't show up the way we were supposed to, but in the second half, we started showing the quality of our players. We had a great game with the guys and it's been a great season."