In its home game against York High Monday, the GIlroy field hockey team took nine shots from short corners.
None of them were converted to goals.
The Mustangs only took one other shot the entire match – but that’s the only one they needed.
About midway through the second half, junior Karlie Sandoval weaved her way across half the field and scored from the top of the circle to give her team a 1-0 lead.
The score held up and Gilroy (14-3-2/10-0-2 MTAL) officially clinched its second consecutive Mission Trail Athletic League title. The ‘Stangs closed out the regular season Tuesday with a 12-0 win over Santa Catalina.
“We pretty much controlled 80 percent of the game,” GHS co-head coach Adam Gemar said, “but we didn’t play that well at all.”
Nevertheless, Gemar was pleased with the play of center-defender Jenelle Perez, who was given the game stick as the team’s MVP.
“She controlled the D,” Gemar said of Perez, who played a large part in holding York to zero shots. “Her stick-handling was great. She never made any mistakes.”
In the 12-0 whitewashing of the Cougars – which took place right in between two local downpours – Perez and six other seniors took to their home field for the final time.
The group – Perez, Danielle Roberts, Andrea Chichester, Shanté Mancera, Meg Perkins, Elena Ramirez and Nicole Souza – was honored in a brief ceremony after the game.
“It’s kind of sad,” Mancera said. “I don’t feel like a senior.”
The fact that Mancera made her first career appearance in goal was an indication of the type of game it was. With the league title already clinched and the game already out-of-reach (7-0 at halftime), Mancera played the entire second half in net.
“It was fun, but kind of boring,” she said of the experience. “You just have to kind of stand there. I’d rather be trying to hit someone.”
Previously only a goalie in practice, Mancera was inserted to give first-string goaltender Stephanie Glenn a chance to play in the field for the first time all season.
“Now that was fantastic,” Roberts said of Glenn’s appearance. “The best part was when she fell into the mud.”
Roberts, who notched two goals in the rout, was one of six Mustangs to score on the Cougars. Erin Magill and Dana Schoeneman each added one, Ramirez and Sandoval had a pair each and sophomore Kelly Perkins netted a hat trick with three goals.
“It was a fun, and that was the goal,” Gemar said. “We also knew it was going to be sloppy, but we ended up with no injuries.
“And that was another goal.”
Gilroy now has three full weeks to prepare of Central Coast Sectionals. His team one game short of the season maximum of 20, Gemar said the Mustangs are likely to play one more game – possibly against RLS or St. Francis – before the start of CCS.
