Also, Live Oak girls basketball delivers first win Wednesday
MORGAN HILL — As long as the Lady Acorns keep winning games, Michaela Swensen doesn’t care who’s scoring.
The sophomore midfielder was one of five Live Oak players who found the net Tuesday as the Acorns snapped a three-game winless streak with a 7-1 trouncing of Milpitas.
Live Oak (2-0-3 overall) was due for a goal frenzy after mustering one score in its three previous matches: a 1-1 tie Monday at Santa Cruz and scoreless draws against rivals Gilroy and Sobrato. The Acorns satisfied their craving and then some at the Outdoor Sports Center.
“It’s a relief,” said Swensen, who scored in the 47th minute. “We knew we could score in those last couple games. We just weren’t finishing things off. Our confidence is back up.”
Live Oak coach Tony Vasquez forgot his team trailed during the nonleague match. The visiting Trojans (2-4-1) of the De Anza Division struck first in the second minute, when senior forward Mari Mendizabal stepped in front of an attempted clear inside 15 yards and buried a quick shot.
Acorns midfielder Amanda Morgan tied the game eight minutes later, one-timing a short cross from sophomore Tiffany Greer for her second goal of the season.
“The girls showed a lot of poise in coming back that way,” said Vasquez, whose team outshot Milpitas 18-2. “I kept telling them, ‘The goals will come.’ We just had to keep playing; keep doing our best.”
Swensen and Greer weren’t the only underclassmen who stepped up. Freshmen Sabrina Rice, Syd Barker and Monica Luna recorded points, as did sophomores Sam Riolo and Megan Rauschnot, who had an assist to go with two tap-in goals in the 35th and 55th minutes. Rauschnot set up both with exciting long drives. She split the center of the field for her first score and wove through three defenders for her second.
“It was fun watching from the back,” Riolo said. “We’re really good on offense; we have so many girls that can score. Tiffany and Sabrina were awesome.”
Greer was credited with two assists, and Rice scored her first two goals at the prep level, including the go-ahead tally in the 27th minute. Rice also struck in the 63rd, when she tapped a through ball away from a defender and the Milpitas goalkeeper and toe-putted into an open net.
“We got a lot of girls into the game today, and they did some good things,” Vasquez said. “That’s important for us. We’re going to need everyone to contribute later on this year.”
Fabi Diaz collected her first goal of the season in superb style, dribbling through two defenders in the 33rd minute. The senior midfielder also totaled two assists.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Lady Acorns get first victory
Win No. 1 came much earlier this year for Live Oak.
Ariana Guerrero scored a game-high 13 points, and Meghan Perez, Fa Saulala and Jacey Turay added six apiece as the Lady Acorns matched last-season’s victory total with a 33-25 triumph over Cupertino on Wednesday in Live Oak Gym.
The Acorns (1-4) netted 12 points in the fourth quarter to outlast the El Camino Division Pioneers (1-4).
BOYS SOCCER
SHS beats defending Cup champs
The Bulldogs were riding high heading into Thursday’s showdown with Live Oak.
Sobrato opened regular-season play Dec. 5 with a 1-0 victory over defending Homestead Cup champion Pajaro Valley. Sobrato junior Simon Schmidt scored the game-winning goal in the second half with a feed from Cullen Herrington. Ramsey Ghamrawi made four saves to help clinch the shutout.
The Bulldogs (1-0-1) followed with a 1-1 draw against Woodside on Dec. 12. Senior midfielder Jovani Franco stepped up in the second half, netting the equalizer off of another assist by Herrington.
WRESTLING
Bulldogs drop league opener
Sobrato’s quest for its first league championship in wrestling hit an early snag Wednesday, when the Bulldogs dropped their Santa Teresa Division opener, 43-36, at Leland High.
Sobrato won six matches but forfeited three.
The Bulldogs received pins by Brian Gomes at 112 pounds, Thomas Burback (119), Steven Simmons (135) and Drew Johnson (140), plus a technical fall by Ryan Brewer at 160. Teammate Brad Pollard (145) also was victorious.
“If we didn’t forfeit those matches, we definitely would have won,” Sobrato first-year coach Moses Guillardo said.
