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By Theo Fightmaster of the Marin IJ | 11/07/2009

Trailing 1-0 midway through the second half, Bengy Ruiz flashed by two Elsie Allen defenders and laced what appeared to be a match-tying goal past Elsie Allen keeper, Salvador Cortez. Perhaps Ruiz was too fast for his own good as he was whistled for offside, nullifying the score, and TL's best chance of the day, in a narrow 1-0 North Coast Section quarterfinal loss on their home turf Saturday.

Despite a shots-on-goal advantage of 13-9, the No. 4-seeded Trojans (14-5-6) were unable to parlay those opportunities into a goal, let alone a victory.

"(Elsie Allen) got two or three good chances, they capitalized on one. And we had a lot of good chances and didn't get any," TL coach Mike Crivello said. "I though we created enough chances to win the game but we just didn't put them away."

In the 24th minute, the fifth-seeded Lobos (13-8-2) dealt the first blow when forward Jonathan Garcia, with a quick-touch off a header, found Alex Lemus who burned a low shot past the outstretched arms of Trojans goalie Cesar Castillo.

"*Lemus) is a pretty skilled guy that can make your system work all the way around," Lobos coach Sergio Lopez said. "So we pretty much know that Alex can create that type of situation."

Lemus knew at the time that the first score was significant.

"We tried to come out hard to let them know we came here to beat them," Lemus said. "Our coach always tells us to come out hard to let them know we're here to win."

After the goal, TL turned up the intensity, controlling the ball in Lobos territory enough to attempt seven shots. But the Lobos defense refused to yield, stopping each Trojan attack.

The second half began similarly to the first, as Elsie Allen came out looking to raise the stakes. After a yellow card was issued to TL's Andy Gramajo, Walter Vicente sent a shot wide past the left goal post.

Another chance came when Sebastian Sanchez sent a free kick in to Toby Schuman, but Schuman's shot sailed high.

"I think today was a good example of starting 100-percent every game, and not taking it easily," Castillo said. "We knew that they weren't just going to give it to us. We had to fight for it ... it all changes in an NCS quarterfinal, everyone wants it. ... We'll have to learn from that."

With the victory, Elsie Allen moves on to host Marin Catholic (23-2-2) in the semifinals at 7 p.m. in Santa Rosa on Wednesday.

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Locked in a 1-1 draw, the Terra Linda High boys soccer team pushed hard to try and find a game winner at home against Redwood on Wednesday.

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Toby Schuman found the back of the net on a penalty kick with less than fifteen minutes to play to give the Terra Linda High boys soccer team a two-goal lead... more

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