After the Live Oak High boys soccer team
’s last game against Salinas ended in a 1-1 tie on a late goal
by the Cowboys, the Salinas players confidently predict-ed a win at
their home stadium, The Pit.
After the Live Oak High boys soccer team’s last game against Salinas ended in a 1-1 tie on a late goal by the Cowboys, the Salinas players confidently predict-ed a win at their home stadium, The Pit.
“(Salinas was) fired up after that game,” Live Oak coach Tony Goble said. “They were saying, we can’t wait to get them into The Pit.”
Given that motivation, the Acorns went out and exploded for four first-half goal en route to a 4-0 demolition of the Cowboys on Salinas’ fabled home field Tuesday.
The victory also clinched second place in the Tri-County Athletic League, and a Central Coast Section playoff berth, for Live Oak.
“It was a big win for us,” Goble said.
The Acorns (6-1-2 in league and 13-5-2 overall) also beat Palma 4-0 on Thursday this week, and trail only first-place Gilroy in the league standings.
Against Salinas, Live Oak was led by senior AJ Battel, who had three of his team’s four goals.
Acorn junior Trevor Kozacek had the other goal, and junior Hussein Abdullahi had a pair of assists.
Against Palma, Battel added two more goals, while Kozacek and Michael Place each added a goal for the Acorns.
Live Oak led 2-0 at the half.
Hussein Abdullahi suffered a leg injury in the first half and did not return. The severity of the injury is not known, Goble said.
Live Oak finishes its league season at Gilroy on Tuesday.
