Girls soccer: Branson claims its third MCAL crown in four seasons

After missing out on the MCAL title game last season, the Branson School girls soccer team was determined to get back to its winning ways against an all-too-familiar opponent.

The Bulls have either eliminated Redwood or been eliminated by Redwood in each of the past five seasons with the two teams splitting the four previous MCAL playoff meetings 2-2.

Sophomore striker Luna Diaz broke a scoreless tie in the 49th minute then senior winger Sophie Arnal scored an insurance goal in the 72nd minute as the Bulls won 2-0 on Saturday at San Rafael High to claim their third MCAL championship in four years.

“It feels so amazing,” Branson midfielder Cat Howell said. “Our team has been working so hard this entire season and to see all the work pay off and all the love and support show up in this game is beyond words. I’m so happy.”

Diaz and Arnal combined to score all five of Branson’s goals during its run to the MCAL title this week. Diaz netted the winner against Redwood after Julia Myerberg dummied the ball which allowed Anya Sridharan to get free down the right side of the pitch. Sridharan crossed the ball into Diaz, whose first attempt at a shot was blocked but she blasted her second attempt into the far corner of the goal to give the Bulls (20-1-2) a 1-0 lead.

“The ball got crossed in by my teammate, Anya, and I mishit it first but then the second time I was right there and just tried to hit it as hard as I could,” Diaz said.

Redwood (9-5-5), which enjoyed an early spell on the front foot in the first 10-15 minutes of the game, carved out its best chance in the 62nd minute. Zoe Clark beat a couple of defenders into the box and launched a shot that ricocheted off the crossbar and out for a corner.

“Zoe beat a couple of players on the dribble and just snuck in right between them and got a great shot off,” Branson coach Tyler Gottschalk said.

The game had one great scoring chance left in it at that point and it fell to Arnal, who found the back of the net for the third time this week to give Branson a 2-0 lead inside the final 10 minutes.

“She’s been probably the most influential player in terms of scoring goals down the stretch in the big games,” Gottschalk said. “So credit to her. Winner against (Marin Catholic), winner against (Sonoma Academy), scoring two against Tam and now scoring again tonight essentially put it out of reach at that stage.”

Gottschalk’s decision to move Arnal up the field from defensive center midfielder to left winger proved to be a key component in Branson’s run to the title.

“It’s just one of things that sometimes you try something and you feel really smart because it worked but really it’s just a kid out there making plays,” Gottschalk said. “You know kind of what we envisioned with Sophie in the midfield to start the year is she would be getting opportunities from 30 yards and in to take shots from distance. She strikes the ball so well.

“While she was playing solid for us in there she just wasn’t getting those looks, she wasn’t getting those opportunities. Now playing out on the left wing she’s getting two or three opportunities a game and she’s taking so many of her chances and scoring really big goals.”

Redwood began the game brightly, creating a decent chance in the first minute. After a shout for a handball in the box against the Bulls, Branson goalie Charlotte Houser came up with the save. The Giants won a corner in the fourth minute but a free header inside the box soared over the bar.

Branson grew into the game with Myerberg creating its two best chances of the first half. Myerberg had a shot in the 12th minute that went just over the goal and ricocheted off the field-goal crossbar instead. Myerberg got into a dangerous area again in the 24th minute. This time her shot was on frame and Redwood goalie Evie Dickerson had to parry it up off the crossbar to keep it out of her net.

“Evie is obviously a fantastic goalkeeper,” Gottschalk said. “It’s no surprise she conceded the fewest goals in the league and had the most shutouts. She does a great job of covering her crossbar and did great on both of those plays.”

Ultimately though, Branson ran its MCAL postseason record against Redwood over the past five years to 3-2. Redwood won the matchups in the 2022 final and the 2025 semifinals. Branson secured finals victories against the Giants in 2023, 2024, and 2026.

Branson’s North Coast Section destiny will be revealed after Sunday’s seeding meeting. The Bulls were ranked fifth in the section by MaxPreps.com earlier in the week, putting them right on the borderline between being a top-four team and being taken into the new Open Division or being the top seed in Division II. Redwood was projected to make it into the D-I bracket prior to Saturday’s MCAL final.