Despite impressive record, Lady Acorns left out of playoffs
MORGAN HILL — For the second straight year, Live Oak’s girl’s soccer team was left out of the CIF-Central Coast Section playoffs despite an impressive season.
The Lady Acorns were vying for an at-large bid in the Division III tournament. They finished 15-2-1 overall and 11-2-1 in Blossom Valley Athletic League-Santa Teresa Division play — good for second place behind champion Willow Glen. As a B-level conference, the Santa Teresa is guaranteed only one automatic berth.
“I’m disappointed mainly for the seniors,” said Live Oak coach Tony Vasquez, who received the bad news at Saturday’s CIF-CCS playoff meeting in San Jose. “This is my first group that hasn’t made it. I feel bad. It’s very disappointing.”
The feeling was similar last year, when the Acorns were snubbed with a 12-3-3 record. They entered the 2008-09 season with one goal: making the playoffs.
“The record we’ve had the past two years is one of the best in the years I’ve been coaching,” Vasquez said. “It just comes down to points.”
The section’s eight at-large berths went to A-division clubs. The final team admitted, Harbor (7-5-6), edged Live Oak by one point, Vasquez said.
“The team representatives turned in their paperwork at the meeting,” Vasquez added. “I made sure it was all correct. I had officials double-check Harbor’s paperwork just to see if we can get in. It is what it is.”
The Acorns’ latest cold-shoulder took little — and much — away from a stellar season. Live Oak won seven of its final eight matches on the way to outscoring its opposition 55-13.
Junior midfielder Fabiola Diaz led the team with 14 goals and six assists. Freshman Megan Rauschnot was next in scoring with nine goals and 16 assists, and Amanda Morgan had six and nine. Goalkeepers Gladis Covarrubias and Selena Braun combined for 22 shutouts.
Live Oak is graduating four seniors: Julia Hartl, Jessica Rinauro, Kourtney Kientzy and Amanda Whitling.
“We played some good soccer this year,” Vasquez said. “The hard work they put in; even though we didn’t get there, for the most part, everyone is satisfied. The girls can walk away with their heads up.”
Vasquez added he will request moving his team up to the BVAL ‘A’ Division for next season.
