No. 1-ranked Wildcats rally to 4-2 win in quarterfinals
SARATOGA — Watching her team go ahead 1-0 against top-seeded Los Gatos was “awesome” for Sobrato goalkeeper Maggie Cropp.
Prior to their Central Coast Section quarterfinal, the undefeated Wildcats — ranked No. 1 by the San Jose Mercury News — had outscored their opponents 49-13, including 11 shutouts. The last time they surrendered a goal was close to a month ago. Their previous loss was Feb. 18, 2009.
Saturday, the No. 9 Bulldogs put a scare into the De Anza Division champions when Jennae Cambra played a pass from Janelle Cisneros, broke away from defenders and scored from about 18 yards out early in the first half.
“I was shocked,” Cropp said. “I couldn’t imagine us being ahead, but we did it.”
Los Gatos tied the game with three minutes left before halftime and eventually pulled away to a 4-2 victory at Prospect High.
But the surreal feeling still lingered in some of the Bulldogs. They flirted with becoming the first team to beat a higher seed in the Division II tournament.
“After the game, the girls didn’t feel like they lost,” Sobrato coach Paul Nishimatsu said with a slight laugh. “They felt really good about how they played. I’m really proud of them.”
The Wildcats (16-0-5) received two goals from Taylor Comeau and one from Brianne Medved and Hannah Rosenberg. They advanced to Thursday’s round of semifinals, where they will try to earn their second CCS championship berth in three years versus No. 4 Aragon.
“Los Gatos is a great program. They have talent across the board,” Nishimatsu said. “Their coach was shocked we put them on their heels for a little bit. Our girls really came to play.
“This definitely gave us a foothold on the ladder going up. I’m expecting a lot from us next year.”
With the score knotted 1-1 at halftime, the Sobrato players were hoping to stay even and possibly force a decisive round of penalty kicks. Los Gatos went ahead 2-1, but the Bulldogs answered with a score by Bekah Inouye on a free kick.
From there, the Wildcats began committing more players upfield.
“They used four different forwards, I think,” Cropp said. “They knew we were getting tired at one point, so they went full force. We were trying to hold strong and not let up, but you could tell they were the dominant team. We couldn’t make any mistakes.”
The Bulldogs ended the season 10-2-8 complete with a share of the Santa Teresa Division title and their first playoff win in program history. They could return as many as 15 players for the 2010-11 season.
“We’re already looking forward to next year,” said Cambra, who ended her junior campaign with 25 goals. “We have a good chance of making it back here; anything’s possible.
“It’s been a really fun year going through this experience. We showed that we’re up to new challenges.”
