Sobrato set to face top-seeded Los Gatos on Saturday
APTOS — What began as a friendly challenge has become the battle cry of the Sobrato girls soccer team.
Last week, junior midfielder Nika Burnett was asked by stat keeper and former Sobrato assistant coach John Olson if her team could score two goals in the opening 15 minutes. Burnett passed that feat along to the rest of the Lady Bulldogs, who were gearing up to play Mount Pleasant for a share of the Santa Teresa Division title Feb. 19.
That night, Jennae Cambra scored in the 15th and 37th minutes as Sobrato triumphed 2-1.
The challenge survived then — and was still on the Bulldogs’ minds Wednesday after they earned their first Central Coast Section playoff victory in program history, upsetting No. 8-seeded Aptos 3-0 with the strength of two Burnett-assisted goals by Cambra in the first and 15th minutes.
“That’s the best way to win games: score early,” Burnett said afterward as she celebrated with her teammates inside Trevin Dilfer Memorial Stadium. “We’re doing pretty well at that, so we’re going to keep saying, ‘Two in 15!'”
The third goal? Cambra completed a hat trick in the 24th minute for good measure, upping her seasonlong tally to two dozen goals.
The No. 9-seeded Bulldogs (10-2-8) were in cruise control from there.
“They helped me get the monkey off my back,” joked Paul Nishimatsu, who has coached his team to two playoff runs in three years at Sobrato.
Cambra was clearly on her way to a big night after she blasted a shot by goalkeeper Chandler Ichikawa 52 seconds into the first-round Division II match. The junior forward had a 1-on-1 opportunity with Ichikawa after Burnett’s pass caromed off a defender.
The same thing happened in the 37th minute. Burnett sent a cross toward Cambra, and the ball glanced off a defender’s leg directly to Cambra, who buried a shot from a sharp angle into the top far corner.
“There’s something to be said for being in the right place at the right time,” Nishimatsu said. “Jennae was patient with the ball and really worked the opportunities she had. That was key for her. She was very calm and had good reads on the goalkeeper.”
Aptos (9-6-6), which placed third in the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League, tightened its defense midway through the first half, but Cambra was able to strike again after forward Marissa Benjamin threaded a 15-yard pass to her through two defenders in Mariners territory.
“They were making mistakes, and I took advantage,” Cambra said. “I don’t think they expected us to come out so strong.”
Maggie Cropp needed to make four saves to preserve the shutout. Aptos’ best chance to score on her came in the 38th minute after Cropp punched away a cross. Mariners forward Marlena Lighthill had a clear shot at the exposed side of the net but missed wide.
Led by Burnett and Janelle Cisneros, the Bulldogs’ midfield controlled possession from there, running down the clock and keeping Aptos’ frontline out of rhythm.
The Mariners played with more intensity in the second half but could not produce quality shots.
“When you get to a team early like we did, everything falls into place,” Nishimatsu said. “Those early goals really set the tone for the whole night. They got our confidence going.”
Sobrato now faces a challenge that no team has answered this winter: beat Los Gatos. The top-seeded Wildcats (15-0-5), winners of the De Anza Division title, meet the Bulldogs at 10 a.m. Saturday for a quarterfinal played at Prospect High.
Los Gatos beat Aptos 4-0 to start the season.
“They’re a very good team,” Cambra said. “But we’re going to step up our play even more.”
