The Palo Alto High School girls’ soccer team ended its season with a devastating loss against the Archbishop Mitty Monarchs, losing 4-0 in the Central Coast Section Division II quarterfinals on Saturday, Feb 16.
“We really tried, and we have no hard feelings,” head coach Ernesto Cruz said. “Mitty is a strong team.”
Defending champions and number two seed Monarchs dominated the field throughout the match, constantly putting pressure on the Viking defenders. Paly’s inability to connect well as a team— a major problem that remained unsolved during the season—was evident as the players made several passing mistakes, allowing the Monarchs to have more ball possession and several scoring opportunities.
The Monarchs got their offense going immediately after the start whistle, frustrating the Paly defensive line with speedy drives and accurate passes. A Mitty striker soon earned a one-on-one chance with freshman keeper Alex Kershner, scoring within the first minute of the game.
Talented Mitty offenders continued to penetrate the Viking defensive line with quick passes and dribbling skills. Kershner blocked multiple shots, and the Viking defenders cleared out several balls, but the Monarchs soon attacked back with even more momentum.
In the 35th minute, a Mitty midfielder chipped the ball over Viking defenders, creating another one-on-one opportunity for her teammate. Monarch striker easily scored with a quick touch, keeping the ball low and giving Kershner no time to react.
During the half time break, Cruz told his players that their performance during the first half was “not that bad,” and that they are “making mistakes and paying for them.” He also noted that 2-0 is nothing, and although the Monarchs have been playing more aggressively, they are still beatable. He encouraged his players to “be confident” and said “there is nothing to lose.”
At the start of the second half Paly tried to gain their rhythm with positive effort, moving the ball around and making more accurate passes. The Monarchs, however, overwhelmed the Vikings with more power and momentum, keeping the action in Paly’s end of the field.
Twenty minutes into the second half, one of the Monarch strikers used her exceptional dribbling skills to run through more than five Viking players en route to the 18-yard box, keeping the ball away from most of Paly’s defenders for more than 10 seconds. Aggressive junior defender Sydney Lundgren tried to clear the ball out, but mistakenly kicked the striker’s foot and gave the Monarchs a penalty kick. A Monarch striker fired a shot on goal at the penalty spot, improving the score to 3-0.
The Monarchs struck again only eight minutes later. When Mitty’s corner kick deflected off of one of the players in the 18-yard box, their striker took a threatening shot after the ball bounced only once, giving no chance of saving for the Paly defenders. The score was then 4-0, and chances of comeback were surely out of reach for the Vikings.
With several players missing and no depth in the defensive line, Cruz had limited options to change his strategy for the game. He moved Lundgren up top towards the end of the game to attack with full force, while giving up some defense, but the Monarch defenders stood firm and cut short all of Paly’s scoring opportunities.
Star midfielder Teresa Noyola was still absent for the match as she was competing in a four nation tournament in Chile with the U.S. Under-20 National team.
“It was tough not having her here,” senior captain Leah Gaeta said. “We wished to play one more game with her.”
Sophomore Alex Nguyen, who Gaeta described as “another difference maker,” was out on the bench due to her knee injuries. Junior captain Caitlin Watson and defender Jackie McElaney also missed the match.
Despite the loss, Gaeta was pleased with her team’s continual, positive effort during the match.
“It was unfortunate not being able to convert,” Gaeta said. “But I appreciate that the team kept on playing, still unified.”
Paly has not gone through the quarterfinals of CCS for the past five years, according to Gaeta. This year’s squad was fairly young with only three seniors, and both Cruz and Gaeta have high hopes for the next season.
“I am very optimistic about the girls,” Cruz said. “They get better and better each year, and I am already excited for next year.”
“We are a young team, and I hope next year’s team would win CCS,” Gaeta said.