During Tuesday’s field hockey match at GHS, Gilroy and North
Salinas didn’t appear to have much in common.
During Tuesday’s field hockey match at GHS, Gilroy and North Salinas didn’t appear to have much in common.
The Vikings played a “hit and chase” style. They hardly passed at all and ended up with just three shots.
The Mustangs played more of a plotting style. They passed plenty and ended up with 10 shots.
“Two very contrasting styles,” Gilroy co-head coach Adam Gemar said.
In the end, though, the teams did share one thing in common – neither one could put the ball in the net.
So TCAL’s two unbeaten teams going into the day remained that way after 60 minutes of a 0-0 tie.
“It’s really frustrating,” senior forward Elena Ramirez said. “We should’ve won that game.”
The Mustangs, now 7-2-1 and 4-0-1 in TCAL, certainly had their chances.
They dominated possession in both halves, crowding in front of the North Salinas’ goal on several occasions.
“It was fast and exciting,” co-head coach Erin Gemar said of the game against the Vikings (7-0-1/6-0-1). “But definitely tense and very unrelaxing.”
In the first half, sophomore forward Kelly Perkins had a couple of close calls – one shot sailing just inches wide of the goal.
In the second half, Ramirez had two breakaway, one-on-one opportunities, but skirted one shot just to the left and the other just to the right.
“I was really confident when I hit them,” Ramirez said. “They just barely missed.”
Sophomore Dana Schoeneman also missed out on a decent chance. And even in the closing seconds, Perkins tried to give it one last shot, but the North Salinas goalie came out of her box and kicked the ball away just as the clock hit all zeroes.
“I felt we controlled the second half,” Erin Gemar said. “We just weren’t always heads-up. We’ve got to finish more of our opportunities.”
The Gemars said they couldn’t be disappointed with the effort of their team, though.
“Not at all,” Adam Gemar said. “They wanted it. You can tell on their faces that they’re disappointed.”
Count junior Heather Link in that category.
“It’s pretty frustrating to be out there and not score when we were so close,” she said.
So after the game, Link spoke for the entire team when she asked the coaches when the two teams would meet again.
“We know how they play now,” she said. “We really want to play them again.”
On the team’s final day of the regular season, the Mustangs will get their shot with an Oct. 21 matchup in Salinas.
