The Live Oak Field Hockey team defeated No. 2-ranked St.
Ignatius Thursday with a 2-1 overtime win despite losing a player
due to a penalty.
The Live Oak Field Hockey team defeated No. 2-ranked St. Ignatius Thursday with a 2-1 overtime win despite losing a player due to a penalty.
The win improved the Acorns to 5-9-3 overall, and 5-5-3 in league.
St. Ignatius drew first blood with a goal in the opening minutes.
The score remained the same through the first half.
Then inspiration came. During half-time, the team honored its seniors and coach Christy Musselmann said that new life was breathed into the team.
Just seconds of the second half starting, the team tied the score on a senior Allison Mutz goal with an assist by Katie Hillman.
That is where the score stood with the regulation running out.
“Our defense held them,” Musselmann said. “We had some awesome saves on goals. There were also some wonderful opportunities to score, but we were unable to.”
With less than two minutes left in the game, Hillman received a yellow card that forced her to sit out for five minutes. As the game went into overtime, the Acorns were forced to play one player short against a top ranked team.
With more than two-and-a-half minutes into overtime, Michell McDonald connected with a goal into the upper corner for the win.
“Every girl gave 150 percent,” said Musselmann. “It was an exciting game.”
The win against St. Ignatius was coming off a 1-1 tie to Willow Glen Tuesday.
The Acorns defense stood tough and were able to hold off Willow Glenn in the second to last game of the season.
“It was a nail biter ,” Musselmann said. “It was a very physical game.”
Goalie Cassandra Sussa played had some “tremendous saves” on numerous shots throughout the day, including a few in overtime that allowed Live Oak to escape without a loss against an aggressive team.
The Acorns only goal was scored by Hillman, who seems to have a knack for putting the ball in the goal against the Willow Glen with an assist by Mutz.
Hillman scored what proved to be the game winner when Live Oak played Willow Glenn in San Jose on Oct. 2.
McDonald had four “great shots” on goal, but was unable to score, Musselmann said.
Eilleen Grove and Kristy Mainland also played strong games, the coach said.
Live Oak’s next game will be played Tuesday, Nov. 4 against No. 1-ranked Monta Vista at Monta Vista.
