The562’s high school soccer coverage for the 2025-26 season is sponsored by Long Beach Poly soccer alum Kennedy Justin.
The562’s coverage of Millikan Athletics for the 2025-26 school year is sponsored by Brian Ramsey and TLD Law.
Without hesitation, AJ Aquino started sprinting toward the goal after she made a nice pass to Alexandra Rios.
Rios stopped the momentum with her left foot and then immediately did a backheel pass to Aquino who was running inside the box.
Aquino took her time and then took a shot with her right foot that flew right past Bonita’s goalkeeper for the game-winning goal that gave Millikan a 1-0 overtime win over the Bearcats on Saturday.
The win punched the Rams’ ticket to the CIF Southern Section Division 2 championship that will be the first appearance for Millikan in program history. They will face Ayala in the title game on Friday or Saturday.
“I kind of blanked out,” Aquino said of the moments running up to her game-winner. “I just saw the ball in the far corner and was like ‘I got to hit it.’”
The game’s high-pressure intensity was nothing new to the Rams who’ve won their last three playoff contests 1-0 and completed their tenth straight clean sheet.
“I’m so proud of this group,” Millikan coach Tino Nunez said. “Watching that last play unfold, it was like at that moment – everything slowed down and then just seeing (Aquino) put that away. It just kind of clicks – like we’re going to the finals.”
In the first half, the game was everything you’d expect in the semifinals. Both defenses did what they could to keep each other off balance. Millikan controlled possession in the opening 40 minutes, but couldn’t manage any quality attempts.
The same went for Bonita as both teams turned their attention to the second half. With some energy in the second half, the Bearcats’ high-scoring offense started to put pressure on the Rams as they had a few quality opportunities but Samantha Ortiz turned away every moment of pressure giving Millikan the time needed to string together some action.
Looking to get back into system, Bonita put their best foot forward in the opening 20 minutes of the second half as they had two back-to-back corners, but the Rams’ defense held together and kept the game scoreless.
Rios pressured Bonita on counter attacks late in the game and gave the Rams their best opportunity in the 71st minute after she made a nice pass to Karly Gallo, but the shot was saved by Bonita’s Zoey Ocho.
After 80 minutes of regulation, the teams went to the first 10-minute overtime period, and that’s all the Rams needed as Aquino was able to end the game.
Millikan will now look to rest a couple days before they jump into preparing for Ayala as they try to bring a championship home.
“We’ll rest our bodies up and then get to work,” Nunez said. “We’ll try and study and see what we need to do and work on it throughout the week and try to have the group as fresh and ready to go. One more game.”
