Gilroy defeats Leland 4-0 to finish on top in bracket, will host
game
Gilroy – After opening the Homestead Cup with an uninspiring loss to Monta Vista, Gilroy was in danger of being one of the first teams eliminated from the prestigious preseason tournament.
After easing past Leland 4-0 Saturday at De Anza College, the Mustangs finished on top of their bracket. So what has been the difference?
“We all felt real bad after that loss,” said sophomore sweeper Andy Moya, who has filled in capably for injured Kevin Grove. “After that loss, we decided we didn’t want to lose again. We practiced harder and became more focused. We knew what we had to do.”
Gilroy (4-1) thoroughly dominated the Chargers, outshooting them 17-2. Once again, sophomore Bruce Ocana was the focal point of the offense with two goals and an assist.
“The midfield opened the game up for us,” said Ocana, the team’s leading scorer with four goals and two assists. “There was a lot of space and I was able to take it to the goal.”
There was a lot more space at De Anza, where the field is 75 feet wide rather than 64 feet at Garcia-Elder. And that benefits a team as speedy as the Mustangs.
Ocana, a left midfielder, is one of the speedier Gilroy players. His improvement from last year when he was elevated to the varsity midway through the season has been startling.
“His fitness and endurance were poor,” coach Brian Hall said of when Ocana moved up to varsity. “Now, he’s an 80-minute player at the same level.”
Ocana has been inspirational to Moya.
“Bruce pumps me up,” Moya said. “He plays with a lot of intensity. I want to play with as much intensity and focus.”
Ocana scored the first goal of the game against Leland on an accurate pass from Noel Vera. It was the defender’s third assist.
Next it was Ocana’s turn to assist, as his corner kick from the left side was headed in by Randy Moya. It was the first goal for Randy Moya, the starting keeper last season.
Two minutes before halftime, Ocana stole a pass. With no option to pass the ball, he toe-poked the ball to the far post to surprise the Chargers’ keeper.
Freshman Josh Gonzalez got his first goal of the season with two minutes left in the game with a deft left-footed shot to the far post. He was assisted by another freshman, Victor Garcia.
“In our first game against Monta Vista, you could tell in warm-ups the team wasn’t ready,” Hall said. “We don’t mind losing if a team is better than us. No way we want to lose to a team as good or not as good.”
The win put Gilroy at 3-1 in its Homestead Cup bracket, and in the final 16. The Mustangs will host a game Saturday, according to Hall, against an opponent to be determined later in the week.
Meanwhile GHS opens its Tri-County Athletic League schedule at 3:30 pm Wednesday at Everett Alvarez, which is 4-0-2 in its first six games.
