HUNTINGTON BEACH — The Edison boys soccer team was on the brink of reaching its first CIF Southern Section final since 2000, and things looked promising for the Chargers after they took a second-half lead.
But Harvard-Westlake quickly responded to tie the game and eventually won it on a golden-goal in overtime by Micah Rossen, handing the Chargers a heartbreaking 2-1 loss Saturday night at Edison High.
It was the second year in a row the two teams faced off in the postseason, and the second time the Wolverines advanced. They earned an overtime victory over Edison in a second-round match a year ago.
“We’ve got some history,” Edison coach Charlie Breneman said. “We played a semifinal with them in 2009-10 and we lost in PKs, so there’s that one, there’s last year and now this one, and unfortunately we’ve been on the wrong side of all those.”
Harvard-Westlake (13-5-2) will be home against Jurupa Hills in the CIF-SS final on Friday, Feb. 28, or Saturday, March 1.
The Chargers (15-5-1) reached the semifinals for the first time since 2019, when they lost to eventual champion San Clemente.
After a first half that produced a few scoring opportunities for both sides, things began to take shape in the second half.
Edison’s Luke White avoided a tackle from Jack Letterman near the penalty area and sent a low cross to teammate Ben Hickman, who blasted it home in the 52nd minute.
It was the first goal conceded by Harvard-Westlake all postseason.
The Chargers’ celebration was short-lived as the Wolverines quickly pushed the ball wide, attempted a shot on goal that forced goalkeeper Andrew Mosham to use a foot save. During the scramble to the ball the rebound was pounced on by the Wolverines’ Cole Grossman, who tied the score just a minute after Edison opened the scoring.
“It’s good that it happened, it kinda woke us up to be honest,” Harvard Westlake coach Michael Erush said of Edison’s goal. “We reacted within two or three minutes, but there’s a lot of moments we have to get better in and credit to Edison getting this far.”
“It was one of those vulnerable moments that if you’re not prepared or engaged they can score on you,” Breneman said. “We needed to ball win there and take care of it, as they were coming at us and we didn’t do a good job and that goal haunted us. It probably should’ve never happened, but that’s soccer.”
In overtime, the Wolverines were able to get the ball over the top and behind the Chargers line. Theo Ottosson dribbled near the box and was able to find Rossen, and he tapped the ball past Mosham for the win.
Harvard-Westlake will play in its second CIF-SS final and first since 2010. It is trying win the school’s first soccer championship.