GIRLS SOCCER: Dons Bounced 5-1 by SI in Semis

The Score: St. Ignatius 5, Aragon 1.

The Star: Aragon High midfielder/forward Kat McAuliffe capped her prep career with one last strong performance in the Central Coast Section Division II semifinals at Pioneer High. Although her team was outplayed by a convincing margin and saw its hopes of defending its 2010 co-championship fizzle away, the Santa Clara-bound senior kept the Dons (14-3-5) mentally focused and ensured they battled to the end on Tuesday night.

The Turning Point: Fourth-seeded St. Ignatius (13-6-3) scored twice within the first 15 minutes to kick off a vintage offensive showing. Surely a bit shell-shocked, No. 1 seed Aragon fell into a 3-0 halftime deficit and, despite an early second-half goal from junior Kimi Petsche, couldn’t keep up with the Wildcats’ speed and firepower.

The Quote: “We started off bad in season, and then we turned it around and went 10-0-1. It was just incredible to be able to turn our season around. Credit to every single person on this team for stepping it up today. We had some injuries, and it wasn't the result we wanted, but everybody played their hearts out.” – Dons senior Kat McAuliffe, on her team’s remarkable surge to win the Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division title after a 0-2-2 start and Aragon’s spirited showing in a season-ending defeat on Tuesday.

The Quote #2: "They put out a bigger goal than we could defend, evidently." -- Aragon coach Will Colglazier, after his injury-hampered unit allowed a stunning five goals in its semifinal ouster.

What’s Next? The Dons’ season is over.

The Bottom Line: Last year, Aragon finished a close second in the PAL Bay Division and then went on to win a CCS Division II co-championship, the program’s first section title. This year, the Dons won their inaugural PAL Bay title on the final day, but couldn’t match their prior CCS magic. … Aragon beat SI in the 2010 quarterfinals and again in non-league play this season, but the Wildcats turned the tables in a big way on Tuesday. … Junior Rachel Killigrew and McAuliffe fired shots off the post in the second half and McAuliffe was foiled by a great save on a diving header. … The Dons moved up to the No. 3 spot in in recent weeks, trailing only No. 1 St. Francis and No. 2 Mountain View. That placement in a very strong region seems about accurate to complete the season, barring a spirited run by No. 7 Woodside to a title in the CCS Division I bracket that includes fellow semifinalists St. Francis and Mountain View. … Aragon graduates two standout seniors in McAuliffe and sweeper Nicole Killigrew, a four-year starter who delivered a gutty effort all season with an injured right knee. But with nine juniors set to return, the Dons should be a contender for a third straight year in the 2011-12 campaign … Junior Nicole Rodrick, a top playmaker, saw minimal action against SI because of an ankle injury, and two other regulars missed the game entirely with injury. … The PAL Bay has more than held its own against the West Catholic Athletic League in recent seasons, but is 0-2 thus far in the playoffs (including Burlingame’s 3-2 quarterfinal loss to Mitty). For the first time since 2007, a PAL Bay team won’t have at least a share of the CCS Division II crown.