Buchanan girls top Arroyo Grande, set up section title match against Clovis North on Saturday

It didn’t exactly rain goals during the CIF Central Section Division I girls soccer semifinal on Tuesday.

That mattered little to Buchanan High, which got a first-half goal from senior Ciara Wilson with less than 9 minutes left against Arroyo Grande; and, a goal in the final minute of play from senior Logan Nidy to notch a 3-1 victory over visiting Arroyo Grande.

In between, an own goal when an Arroyo Grande defender missed her pass to goalkeeper Sam Patchin and gave top-seeded Buchanan another goal.

Arroyo Grande, seeded fifth, got a goal from junior Rachel Butler off a set play with less than 15 minutes left in the contest to put pressure on Buchanan.

However, Nidy’s goal sewed up Buchanan’s win and earned the Bears a championship match at home Saturday against TRAC runner-up Clovis North, a 1-0 winner over second-seeded Liberty High of Bakersfield.

Clovis North (20-2) lost once and tied another TRAC match against Buchanan. Last year, Clovis North beat Buchanan for the section championship only to be bounced out of the CIF Southern California playoffs while Buchanan ran the table.

Buchanan (17-2-1) has not lost in its last 11 matches.

Buchanan head coach Jasara Gillette welcomes another match against Clovis North.

“It’s always nice when teams from the TRAC make it. It just shows how strong our conference is,” said Gillette. “We’re kind of ready for whatever is thrown our way.”

Arroyo Grande kept Buchanan from running away with the match, despite the Bears dominating on offense.

Gillette called Arroyo Grande (17-7-2) “a great team.”

“They counterattacked well, they played hard,” she said. “Any time that you get into these late (playoff) games, you have to prepare to make sure that you’re ready for the next one.”

Gillette praised the play of junior goalkeeper Karly Liles, who has shared goalie duties until the other player got injured.

“She made some phenomenal saves in that Clovis North game,” said Gillette of Liles. “She’s stepping up big when needed.”

Gillette said Buchanan has been winning close games.

“We’ve been pretty consistent with being able to kind of finish those opportunities,” she said.

Against Arroyo Grande, Buchanan had several opportunities to have padded the lead, but their shots got blocked or went astray.

“In the section championship, hopefully we can kind of put some of those ones away,” said Gillette.