Gilroy High’s girls soccer team would have given just about
anything to get out of the first half 10 minutes earlier Wednesday
night. Thirty minutes into their first-round Central Coast Section
playoff game against the Carlmont Scots, the Mustangs were trailing
1-0 and ready to regroup.
Gilroy High’s girls soccer team would have given just about anything to get out of the first half 10 minutes earlier Wednesday night.
Thirty minutes into their first-round Central Coast Section playoff game against the Carlmont Scots, the Mustangs were trailing 1-0 and ready to regroup.
But when the Scots’ Kelly Cunningham added her second and third goals of the half in a span of six minutes, the Mustangs entered the intermission in a 3-0 hole.
Forty minutes later Gilroy had lost the game 4-1, ending the Mustangs’ season.
“It hurts,” Gilroy senior midfielder Kristi Figueroa said. “It’s really hard because we wanted to go further this year.”
For the second-straight season Gilroy lost in the first round of CCS at home. Last season the Mustangs lost 3-2 to Homestead.
Figueroa did give Gilroy some sense of relief late in the game, however, when she netted a free kick from 20 yards out with a minute to play.
“It felt good because it was something we were working for,” Figueroa said. “We wanted one goal at least.”
Unfortunately for Gilroy, being matched up with Carlmont was about as tough of a first-round assignment as any team could receive.
The Scots entered the match 11-5-3, a record Carlmont coach Jim Kelly said was somewhat deceiving of his squad’s talent level. The Scots won CCS in 2005 and 2006, and lost in overtime in the semifinals last season.
“We had a tough season this year,” Kelly said, “a lot of close losses and ties.”
Sara Saperstein added Carlmont’s final goal in the 24th minute of the second half.
While the score would indicate the Mustangs were thoroughly outplayed, the game actually hinged on just a few breakdowns. Three of Carlmont’s goals came on counter attacks or possessions lost in Gilroy’s half of the field.
“We made too many mistakes early on,” Gilroy coach Jose Hernandez said. “(But) when we came out down 3-nothing, I really liked the way we came out in the second half.”
Gilroy tried to grind it out by controlling possession and putting shots on goal after going down 3-0, but the Mustangs often found themselves hitting posts, shooting directly at the keeper or missing just inches wide.
The match marked the final chapter in a season that featured Gilroy winning its second Tri-County Athletic League title in a row, and first outright league title in school history. Wednesday’s contest also served as the final game in the careers of seven GHS seniors: Ariana Alvarado, Amparo Nery Arteaga, Jenessa Barnes, Kristi Figueroa, Janet Gonzalez, Maritza Gonzalez and Sara Hugo.
While Hernandez will be losing some firepower from his roster for 2008-09, the coach does think his squad has a very bright future.
“We’re building, we have a lot of freshmen,” Hernandez said. “(This loss) seems to be leaving us a little hungry.”
The Mustangs closed with a 12-5-3 record, 11-0-1 TCAL.
Below are awards received by Gilroy players from the Tri-County Athletic League this season:
TCAL MVP – Kristi Figueroa; TCAL Offensive MVP – Ariana Vera; TCAL Defensive MVP – Irene Figueroa; Senior of the Year – Sara Hugo; Junior of the Year – Cheyenne Strametz; Sophomore of the Year – Rahni Giardina; Freshman of the Year – Erin Slattery.
All-TCAL First Team: Kristi Figueroa, Irene Figueroa, Sara Hugo, Ariana Vera and Indra Garcia.
All-TCAL Second Team: Cheyenne Strametz, Erin Slattery, Rahni Giardina, Maritza Gonzalez and Lauren Bertero.
Honorable Mention: Alexandria Maldonado and Katelyn Nebesnick.
Sportsmanship: Breanna Rose
View more photos of Gilroy vs. Carlmont Girls Soccer- First Round CCS Playoff at our
