LO allows goal in final minute, settles for 1-1 tie
MORGAN HILL — Live Oak is closing in on a berth in the Central Coast Section field hockey playoffs, and coach Gina Sanders is counting every point her Acorns collect.
They were less than a minute away from tacking on three more against Prospect.
After trailing for most of Wednesday’s Santa Teresa Division match at Live Oak High, the Panthers pulled even when Erin Buchner scored off a short-corner hit by teammate Michelle Perez in the 59th minute. After a frenzied seven-minute overtime period, the game ended in a 1-1 draw.
“We played really hard in that first half, but they wanted it more in the second half, I think,” Live Oak senior forward Erin Leggett said. “It’s a little frustrating, but a tie isn’t bad.”
The Acorns picked up a point while moving to 5-2-2 in the division standings with five league games left. They remained in good shape to finish in the top three and earn a playoff spot.
“Every game is big now,” Sanders said. “This doesn’t hurt our playoff hopes, but it does hurt our chances of finishing second and getting a better seed if we make it.
“I think we played pretty hard today. Sometimes, things just don’t bounce your way.”
Prospect (2-4-2) was in control for most of the second half, forcing six short corners and taking five shots on goal. The ball seldom left the Panthers’ side of the pitch in the first half, though.
Live Oak outshot Prospect 9-0 in the opening 30 minutes, including four tries by Leggett. Sophomore Mariette Lowe pushed the Acorns ahead in the 17th minute, tapping in a hard feed from Kirsten Doting.
“She hit it right to my stick,” Lowe said. “After that (goal), we couldn’t get the ball out of our own 25 [yards].”
The Acorns continue league play at 3:30 p.m. today at Cupertino.
GIRLS TENNIS
SHS edges OG for 10th league win
Amanda Alipaz and Nemerta Cherra won a pivotal doubles match Tuesday to lift Sobrato past Oak Grove 4-3 and send the Lady Bulldogs to their 10th victory in league play.
Alipaz and Cherra outlasted Sophia Huynh and Thao Do, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3), in a Santa Teresa Division match in which Sobrato (10-2 league) dropped two of the three doubles games while earning three challenging singles wins.
Alexa Watanabe, fresh off winning her third straight division singles title in as many years, beat Oak Grove’s Nikki Tubo in the top singles match 6-1, 6-2. Ali Pecsok defeated Eileen Doan 7-6, (7-3), 6-1, and Emerald Nguyen triumphed against Lilian Le 7-6, (7-5), 6-2 to round out the Bulldogs’ winners.
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Bulldogs end slide against Pirates
Jessica Westall collected a game-high eight skills Tuesday, as Sobrato beat Piedmont Hills 25-19, 21-25, 25-21, 25-11.
The Lady Bulldogs moved to 3-6 in Mount Hamilton Division matches heading into Thursday’s showdown at Live Oak High. (Results of that game will be printed Tuesday.)
