After a perfect season in Tri-County Athletic League play,
Gilroy will be returning to the Central Coast Section Division 1
playoffs, looking for its first title.
After a perfect season in Tri-County Athletic League play, Gilroy will be returning to the Central Coast Section Division 1 playoffs, looking for its first title.
The Mustangs, seeded No. 5, will face No. 12 Del Mar (10-5, 10-2 league) today at 3 p.m.
Gilroy (12-3-1 overall, 12-0 TCAL) cruised through league play, allowing just one goal.
“We’re very similar teams,” said Mustang co-Head Coach Erin Gemar. “We both have beat everyone or almost everyone in our league by big margins.”
After last year’s 1-0 loss to Leland in the quarterfinals, many of the players and coaches were left with a bad taste in their mouth, vowing to do better this year.
“With every loss in CCS, hopefully it brings a little more hunger,” said GHS Coach Adam Gemar. “Even though our team is smaller, our hearts our bigger. We have more depth this year. Mitty killed us a couple years ago because they had more depth. We have more confidence and more leadership, so that’s going for us. I think this team’s willing to push harder than last lear.”
In field hockey, contrary to other sports, the TCAL champion receives the No. 5 seed, while the runner up receives the No. 11 seed. Monterey was the other TCAL representative.
“It actually works out better for us that way,” Adam said. “Rather than facing a tough team in the first round and getting blown out, I’d rather play the first game and lose by a close margin then have a bye and lose big.”
If the Mustangs are to win the title they will have to beat No. 4 Mitty and No. 1 St. Francis. It all comes down to who comes out to play, Adam Gemar said.
“Every year for the past three or four years, it’s who brings it on that day,” he continued. “On any given day, any team can beat any other team. It is a tough division. We got a good chance tomorrow if everyone shows up. Our game is all about ball control and beating them to the 50-50 balls. We can’t come in flat and without a big heart or effort.”
