The JSerra Boys Soccer team is one win away from seizing a highly coveted CIF-SS Open Division championship.

The Lions march to the title game faced its’ stiffest team against the Santa Monica Vikings.

The two teams kicked off their home-and-home postseason battle by playing to a 0-0 tie at Santa Monica in the quarterfinals.

It was the first non-victorious result of the season for JSerra.

Lions senior goalie Liam Johnston produced the biggest play of the match in the 43rd minute.

The Lions were called for a hand ball violation in the box, which resulted in a penalty kick attempt for the Vikings.

On the ensuing PK, Johnston lunged to his left to knock the shot away from the goal and preserve the shutout.

Johnston finished with six saves in the match.

The two teams renewed acquaintances in the semifinals round at JSerra Catholic High School and produced one of the most memorable matches in school history.

Santa Monica surged to a 1-0 lead in the 10th minute, scoring on a penalty kick, after the Lions were called for a handball violation in the box.

The Vikings made it a two-goal advantage with a corner kick rebound goal in the 34th minute.

JSerra struck back in the 37th minute, as senior Jake Tatch corralled a corner kick rebound off a header away from the goal by a Vikings defender and whipped a shot into the back of the net to cut the deficit to 2-1.

The Lions’ attack dominated the action in the second half, and their attacking pressure finally resulted in the match-equalizing goal in the 69th minute.

Senior Kaden Kirsch served a ball into the box that was headed by senior Gavin Allegaert to the front of the goal, where freshman Finn Wilkins tucked himself in front of his defender and knocked a header into the open goal to tie match at 2-2.

The match remained tied through the end of regulation and the first “Golden Goal” overtime period.

Then, with seconds remaining in the second overtime period, a Vikings defender tried to clear a ball out of the box, but the ball rolled right in front of sophomore Hudson Garner, who stepped into an open space and sent a searing line-drive shot that sailed over the right shoulder of the Vikings goalie and into the near-post corner of the goal to send JSerra to the title match.

The Lions, who are now 16-0-1 on the season, will take on Loyola High School of Los Angeles in the CIF-SS Open Division match on Friday, February 28^th at El Modena High School in Orange.

Kickoff is slated for 5:00 p.m.