Morgan Hill – Approximately three weeks ago the Live Oak field
hockey team was shut out by the Monta Vista High School Matadors
2-0.
Morgan Hill – Approximately three weeks ago the Live Oak field hockey team was shut out by the Monta Vista High School Matadors 2-0.
On Thursday, under the guidance of head coach Gina Sanders, the Acorns defeated the Matadors 2-1 with a goal in the final seconds of the game.
Junior Shannon Byron-Brown scored the only goal of the first half on an assist from senior Lexy Nuno, and the Acorns went into halftime leading 1-0.
Possession went back and forth for much of the second half until Monta Vista scored with about 12 minutes left in the game.
With just under two minutes left the Acorns found themselves on the defensive as the Matadors had opportunities to score on five consecutive short-corner attempts.
Led by senior Holly Turay the Acorns defense squashed the Matadors hopes, regaining possession for one last chance to win.
“Holly Turay went all out and broke up their short-corners very early, and the defense behind her was strong and cleaned it up,” Sanders said. “She ran her butt off basically.”
After Monta Vista’s fifth short-corner attempt, Sanders yelled out to her team, “Hit the ball!”, and they responded.
Nuno and junior Brooke Willis advanced the ball downfield going two-on-two with Matador defenders, and with only ten seconds left the referee called a penalty on Monta Vista.
Since the penalty took place within the half-circle the Acorns were given a short-corner opportunity, which Sanders said was great considering the amount of time left.
“It’s better to get a corner than just a scoring attempt because if time expires you play out the corner until the defenders clear the ball out of the half circle,” she said. “Otherwise, time could have expired and we might have gone into overtime.”
On the play, Turay hit the ball from the corner to senior Sarah Locarnini at the top of the circle.
Controlling the ball Locarnini drew defenders to the right, then passed left to an open Robin Nelson.
With a sense of urgency, Nelson quickly shot the ball but hit the left goal post.
As time expired Turay collected the rebound and bumped it past the Matadors’ goalie securing a 2-1 victory.
“I felt like we won CCS,”‘ Sanders said. “And I don’t know if all of them knew that time had expired, but after we scored they we’re all jazzed.”
The win advances the Acorns record to 5-3, and keeps them in the running amongst the top teams in the Santa teresa division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League.
Sanders has her team practicing various short-corner formations in preparation of playoffs.
“Every game is big right now because the standings are just so tight,” she said. “At this point it doesn’t matter who you’re playing, what matters is how you finish.”
