Gilroy and Willow Glen needed two overtimes and two rounds of shootouts to finally settle things Wednesday in the first round of the Central Coast Section field hockey playoffs.
And with a stroke from Ellie Sausen, the Mustangs went home victorious, 3-2 after winning penalty shots 6-5.
“They were jumping up and down. I jumped up and down. They were really excited,” said coach Adam Gemar.
The win sets up a date with undefeated Los Gatos 11:15 a.m. Saturday at Del Mar High School in San Jose. Los Gatos has not had a game closer than three goals the whole season.
The Wildcats have allowed just two goals the whole year: Once to Saratoga and once to Los Altos.
Gemar said his girls are just going to have to play scrappy, pull for one another and play as well as they can.
“I hope they work as a team. That’s probably the most important thing,” Gemar said. “They need to have a positive attitude and work as a team.”
Gemar said Los Gatos and Gilroy have squared off before in a battle very similar to Wednesday’s contest against Willow Glen, needing overtime to finally settle things.
Gilroy had gone down 1-0 at the half against the Rams before Sausen and Ang Leonardo scored second-half goals to take a 2-1 lead.
Willow Glen, however, tied the match inside of the final 5 minutes forcing overtime.
Neither team scored in the two 7-on-7 OT periods going to a five-a-side shootout.
Both teams were tied after the first round of the shootouts and went to a second, where Sausen ended it with a go-ahead goal.
Gemar was also very happy with the play out of freshman Savanah Castro, who stopped half of the shots she faced in the penalty frame.
Gemar said it is impossible during the season to simulate what they saw on Wednesday because games never go beyond an OT period.
“There’s nothing like experience,” Gemar said. “The only way to get experience is to do it. You could tell her nerves were there when it’s just you and one other girl.”
But she got through it.
Now Gilroy will have to rise to a new challenge facing a Wildcats team who Gemar said doesn’t have a real super star.
He said in years past, Los Gatos would have one to three players who just took over games. This year, he said, the Wildcats have a bunch of good players who come together as a single group.
“Los Gatos has a group that plays as a team. Instead of one or two standouts, the group plays as a team with girls who are real skilled,” Gemar said.
If Gilroy advances, it will face the winner of St. Francis/Saratoga on Nov. 18.
