Sparling’s goal helps Live Oak end first half of league play
alone atop Santa Teresa Division
MORGAN HILL — It started as just a gimmick. When Gina Sanders played field hockey at Live Oak High School, her father and coach, Michael, would treat the Acorns to ice cream if they scored in the first five minutes of a half.
When she took the helm four years ago, Sanders carried over the tradition.
“It was just something fun we did,” she said. “It pushed us to score early in games and get an early lead.”
This simple, sweet motivation has given way to a bread-and-butter strategy for Live Oak, now in its best season yet under Sanders. The opening five minutes have been the Acorns’ time to strike, and they have done so on three occasions this fall while climbing to the top of the Santa Teresa Division.
Live Oak wrapped up the first half of league play alone in first place Wednesday at LOHS with a 1-0 victory over division rival Cupertino.
Catherine Sparling scored off a cross from Danielle Horning for the Acorns (9-4 overall, 7-1 league) — in the opening three minutes.
“Scoring early has been the most important thing for us,” Live Oak midfielder Kirsten Doting said. “You get an early jump on the other team, and it makes it a lot easier to control the flow of the game. It lets us make things happen.”
For 57 minutes in 94-degree weather on the grass field where the Acorns have not lost this season, every ounce of pressure was on Cupertino (7-2, 5-2).
It became a physical battle, as most LOHS-Cupertino games do, by the second half with the Pioneers clawing for scoring opportunities against a fortified Acorns defense.
“We didn’t give up on any play,” Doting said. “We tried our hardest, didn’t let any of the physical stuff get to us.”
Taking advantage of their home-playing surface — three of the eight Santa Teresa teams play on grass — Live Oak was able to move the ball efficiently to its forwards.
“Catherine and Marisa (Faust) did a good job keeping the ball at the top of the circle,” Sanders said. “We had a few scoring chances in the second half but couldn’t capitalize.”
The Acorns’ defensive line, led by Lauren Drewniany, held firmly.
Cupertino earned a penalty shot with about 14 minutes remaining, but LOHS goalkeeper Melissa Sigona came up with a key save to preserve the shutout.
In a season full of impressive wins, Wednesday’s was perhaps the most memorable, though, Sanders was quick to point out there’s another half of league play left.
“You can’t look at it as us being on top,” she said. “This league is very even. The last-place team could beat the first-place team on any given day.
“We’ve made a statement. Now, we need to keep proving it.”
