Playing in one of the toughest division hasn’t been easy for the
young Live Oak girls soccer team, but the players and coaches keep
persevering.
By Andrew Torrez
Staff Writer
Playing in one of the toughest division hasn’t been easy for the young Live Oak girls soccer team, but the players and coaches keep persevering.
On Wednesday, the Acorns lost a hard-fought Blossom Valley Athletic League Mount Hamilton Division game 4-1 to Piedmont Hills. The game was tied 1-1throughout the first half and for most of the second before the Pirates were able to capitalize on mistakes.
“Our inexperience kills us,” said Live Oak coach Tony Vasquez. “It has been (like that) the whole season. The first half we were in the game, but we just made to many mistakes in the second that cost us.”
There are only three seniors on the Acorns=B9 roster. Midfielder Sara Whitling, and co-captains defender Ashley Thomas and forward Shawna McKeown are the three most experienced players on the team.
Thomas scored the lone goal for Live Oak early in the game on Wednesday.
“It’s a young team,” Vasquez said. “They’re learning and they keep fighting. Last year in the B league, teams wouldn’t capitalize on our mistakes. But now in this higher league, mistakes lead to goals.”
The loss dropped the Acorns record to 4-9 and 2-7 in league play. Live Oak’s goal against Piedmont ended a four-game scoreless drought. The Pirates are 8-5-2 overall, 4-5-1 in league.
Vasquez said that coaching a team with mostly younger players is different than coaching an older team because he has to be more understanding.
“More than anything,” he said, “I’m just more patient. I expect them
to make mistakes. I know they will just have to work through their mistakes and learn through them.”
Live Oak’s inexperienced show in the second half by letting some of Piedmont’s players slip behind the defense and take wide-open shots at freshman goalkeeper Gladis Corvarrueias.
“I’ve been telling them all year that we can’t let them take free shots,” Vasquez said. “We have to back up our goalie. We have to help her out a lot more than we would with an experienced goalkeeper.”
Vasquez said his young goalkeeper has had to gain experience the tough way this season, but that hopefully it will pay off in the future.
“She’s playing varsity soccer on an A league schedule,” he said. “It doesn’t always work. Hopefully they’ll learn from it and next year we can improve our record.”
The Acorns next game is against Leigh at 3:15pm today in Morgan Hill. Leigh is undefeated in league play and has a 6-0-6 overall record.
The two teams met on Monday with Leigh winning 4-0 in San Jose.
“They’re a tough team,” Vasquez said. “I just think defensively we
have to be able to play a little better together. Hopefully we can step up and play a little harder.”
