Acorns aiming for first playoff invite since 2006
MORGAN HILL — Despite returning almost all of their starters from 2009, the Live Oak Acorns have dubbed the upcoming field hockey season a rebuilding one for them — mainly because they are building up to the same elusive goal of reaching the postseason.
Darn if they haven’t come close.
The past two senior classes vowed to help deliver Live Oak’s first Central Coast Section playoff berth under Gina Sanders only to fall agonizingly short. The Acorns strung together three straight winning seasons — and turned in their gear in early November.
“I hope it’s this year, man. It’s been really tough,” Sanders said Tuesday, pausing slightly between words. “Last year, we had it from the beginning, and we kind of lost it midway. The year before, we were in a battle until the end. We just couldn’t finish it.”
Sanders has a new reason to believe that “this year will be different.” High school field hockey recently implemented a rule that allows dribbling off stationary hits, a change that could payoff handsomely for fast, sure-hitting teams — like Live Oak.
“The game is going to travel a lot faster, and they’re probably going to move the ball better,” Sanders said of her Acorns. “I think it’s going to provide more opportunities for corners and more opportunities for free hits. It’ll be good for us.”
Current players say one of the team’s biggest weakness in past years was cashing in on scoring opportunities. More dribbling will open more passing lanes and, in turn, better looks at the cage.
“We’ve always been right there, ready to score, but the ball just won’t go in,” said senior defender Lauren Drewniany, the 2009 Santa Teresa Division Junior of the Year. “We should connect a lot better this year.”
From frontline to back, Live Oak is loaded with veteran varsity talent. Marisa Faust and Catherine Sparling are back up top, flanking midfielder/forward Megan Rauschnot, a three-sport standout. Junior Danielle Horning and sophomore Sydney Barker add athleticism to the mix.
Michaela Swenson, a 5-foot-9 junior, is one of few returners at midfield, but the group has reloaded. Senior Lysette Abarca and junior Anisha Patel can cover plenty of ground, and Kirsten Doting is coming off back-to-back all-league seasons as a defender.
“We have some midfielders with great speed, and they get after people,” Sanders said. “We have some forwards who are getting better at rebounds and corners.”
The defenders are young, Sanders admitted, but have been aggressive at practice, including this week when temperatures rose to triple digits. They got used to working hard during a rigorous offseason.
Drewniany and fellow captain Mariette Lowe (Sparling is the third captain) will shoulder most of the defensive effort, working with several new faces.
Junior Melissa Sigona is taking over at goalkeeper in place of graduated all-leaguer Margaret Tanner.
“The older players are good friends, so we know how each other thinks,” Lowe said. “We want to mold the younger girls to be the same way. It’s important we’re all treated with respect.”
The last thing the Acorns want to do is be hard on themselves. Current players felt that was a problem in past years, when playoff pressure intensified late-season losses.
Live Oak will face Gilroy, a CCS-title contender, in its first scrimmage Tuesday.
“We have to stay focused and determined every minute of every game,” Sparling said. “When things don’t go our way, we have to pick ourselves up.
“The past few years, we’ve had some very talented senior classes that were willing to fight until the end. They were really serious about their final year. We are, too.”
