GREENFIELD — Last season the Greenfield Bruins varsity boys’ soccer team claimed a share of the Pacific Coast Athletic League’s Cypress Division, and this year they made more history by claiming the Mission Division with a win over the King City Mustangs.
All year long the Mission Division has been a two-team race between the Bruins and the Seaside Spartans. After they split the season series at one apiece, where both teams defended their home field, it came down to the final stretch to determine the league champion.
In the final five games of the regular season, the Spartans needed a strong finish after dropping their last matchup with the Bruins, 3-2.
Seaside has had one of the best records in the PCAL this season. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t play their best soccer down the stretch and were upset by the Palm Chieftains and Carmel High School Padres. In their last five games, the Spartans went 3-2, giving the Bruins the chance to capture the Mission Division.
After Seaside’s loss to the Padres, Greenfield had a great opportunity to win the division.
In their last five games of the season, the Bruins didn’t drop a single one. They were tested by the Padres and the Monterey High School Toreadors, with both games ending in a draw. The Bruins also beat the Stevenson Pirates, 2-0.
In the Feb. 10 season finale, the Bruins faced their South Monterey County rivals, the King City Mustangs.
Not only was it the final game of the regular season, it was also their senior night.
To start the game, the Mustangs scored early to give them a 1-0 lead in the first half. After giving up the early lead, Greenfield player Braulio Zuniga scored the match’s next two goals to give the Bruins the 2-1 win that clinched the Mission Division title for the first time in school history.
Zuniga has scored eight goals this year and is second to teammate Hector Garcia, who leads with 16 goals.
The next stop for the Bruins is the Central Coast Section soccer tournament, with the match-ups still to be announced. The quarterfinals are scheduled to begin Saturday, Feb. 18.
