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Freshman Dea Wallach scored the game-winning goal in the second overtime period to give the Berkeley High girls’ soccer team a 1-0 first-round 3A North Coast Section playoff victory over Castro Valley on Wednesday night. 

Junior forward Annie Borton dribbled down the right side before hitting a cross to wide-open Wallach. The freshman calmly took a touch to settle the ball, then slid it past Castro Valley goalkeeper Melissa Onstad to put Berkeley up a goal in the 93rd minute.  

“That was one of those goals you don’t want to miss,” Wallach said. “It was wide open.” 

Although Castro Valley would threaten the ’Jackets’ goal several times before the final whistle, they couldn’t punch one in. 

“That was a long game to play, and our team stepped up big-time,” Berkeley head coach Suzanne Sillett said. “The game started opening up as it went on. I just didn’t want a shootout.” 

What was a tightly played affair in the early stages turned into a sloppy game of kickball at the end of regulation, as both teams tired and started to push forward to get the deciding goal. In the final three minutes before overtime, each team got off four shots. Castro Valley’s Brooke Katich looked like she had a breakaway, but Berkeley defender Rebecca Williams chased her down to snuff the chance. Then Berkeley midfielder Veronica Searles put forward Maura Fitzgerald through, but Fitzgerald hit her shot right at Onstad and the game went into extra time. 

Neither team got off a shot in the first 10-minute overtime period, and Wallach’s shot was the first of the final period. 

The win was especially satisfying for Sillett and the three returning starters from last season. The ’Jackets lost 1-0 to Amador Valley on a late goal in the NCS first round a year ago, a tough loss that has inspired the ’Jackets this season. 

“It’s so nice to finally win an NCS game,” said Borton, one of the holdovers from last season. “It was really hard to lose that way last year.” 

Sillett was impressed by her team’s composure down the stretch, if not their play at the game’s start. 

“We looked terrified for the first 10 minutes,” she said. “But we settled down nicely and came up with a big win.” 

Berkeley may have started slowly, but they had the run of play for most of the game. They outshot Castro Valley 7-1 in the first half, with Fitzgerald getting a couple of good shots off and Wallach just missing on a Borton cross. They continued to apply the pressure in the second half, with Borton and Fitzgerald causing havoc up front. 

“I felt like we were pretty much in control of the game,” Borton said. “We gave them a couple of scary chances, but when we played our game we got things going.” 

The ’Jackets move on to play the No. 1 seed in the region, EBAL champion California. The game will kick off at 7 p.m. at California High. 

“Unfortunately, our reward now is to play the top seed at their place,” Sillett said. “But we’re sure happy to be going there instead of going home.”