GAME REPORTS
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Game Report: San Marcos 1 Valley Center 7
Again, no shame in
losing to such a
team by such a
margin, as the
Knights were unable
to stop the Jaguars'
inexorable march to
the Valley League
championship. As
with the reverse
fixture earlier in
the campaign, San
Marcos gave an
excellent account of
themselves on a
field that heavily
favored the pace and
slick passing of
Valley Center.
Despite losing
Crossno early on to
a rather freakish
knee injury, the
Lady Knights held
the Jaguars in an
entertaining first
15 minutes.
Seemingly under the
cosh for much of
this period, San
Marcos held their
own and managed
several forays up
the field, with
Heidt showing a real
cutting edge up
front. Midway
through the first
half, an excellent
move saw the
Knights, rather
astonishingly, take
the lead. Buso and
Yaldo combined to
transfer the ball
from the left to the
right, releasing
Hernandez. Her
perfectly weighted
through ball was
chased down by Wong,
and although Heidt
seemed to have no
hope of getting to
her subsequent pass,
she ploughed through
the Valley Center
defense and crossed
the ball for Smith
to tap in her 6th
goal of the season.
Perhaps the Knights'
temerity in taking
the lead awoke the
beast, because, for
the next 45 minutes,
the Jaguars gave a
stunning display of
attacking hockey.
Two goals were
virtually walked in
to the net, such was
the quality of the
passing, and a soft
3rd goal gave the
Jaguars a 3-1 half
time lead. Their 4
second half goals
were largely scored
on the break, where,
despite the best
efforts of
Lafontaine,
Stevenson, and the
excellent
Lopez-Martinez, the
pace and skill of
the Valley Center
forwards overran the
Knights' defenses.
Still, between the
goals, San Marcos
put together some
excellent passing
moves, using space
effectively, and
releasing the ball
early. Hernandez,
Buso, Yaldo, and
Ratledge were at the
heart of most of
these moves, and
Smith, later playing
in midfield,
connected will with
Heidt on several
occasions.
So despite another
heavy defeat, there
was much to be proud
about of this
performance, and
spirits were high
after the game.
Goal: Smith (7)
Assist: Heidt (3)
San Marcos starters: Kalaya Ganther; Yasmine Perez, Jessica Lafontaine, Kori Crossno, Celeste Hernandez, Carly Buso, Kristen Yaldo, Tracy Ratledge, Danielle Wong, Cassidy Heidt, Kandyce Smith
JV Score: 0-3
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Game Ball: Lopez-Martinez |
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Game Report: San Marcos 2 Mount Carmel 1 (OT)
An emotional senior
night appropriately
ended in high drama, as
the Knights rallied for
yet another come-from
behind win, their 4th of
the season. With the
game seemingly out of
reach, and Mt. Carmel
comfortably protecting a
one-goal lead, the
Knights found a way to
tie the game with 4:26
left to play in
regulation, before
sparking a mass field
invasion with the
game-winner just under 5
minutes into overtime.
Dominating the first
half, San Marcos showed
purpose and poise on the
ball. Buso and Yaldo
kept the midfield
ticking over nicely, and
Wong, Heidt, and Smith
were given plenty of
opportunities to run at
the Sun Devils'
defense. Smith had a
smart shot turned away
by the goalkeeper,
before Wong, played in
by Hernandez, pushed a
shot wide right from
close range. With
Canseco (on as a sub)
and Ratledge keeping the
ball effectively down
the left, the Knights
were firing on all
cylinders.
Heidt had a chance to
score, but her shot
clanged off the post and
also eluded Canseco, who
was closing in. Despite all
their pressure, however,
the Mt. Carmel defense
stood firm, and the two
teams entered half time
at a 0-0 stalemate.
In the second half,
the Sun Devils
picked up the pace
considerably,
passing the ball
efficiently, and
forcing several
short corners. Five
minutes into the
half, a hard-hit
drive from a short
corner took a heavy
deflection, and the
ball trickled into
the goal with
Ganther stranded.
All of a sudden it
was the Knights who
appeared deflated
and leaden-footed,
while the Sun Devils
seized control of
the game and
maintained it for
most of the second
half. The Knights'
lone opportunity
during this period
was a hard shot from
Hernandez, but the
angle was too tight
and the goalkeeper
made a
straighforward
save. With the
Knights running out
of time and ideas,
Heidt led one last
desperate charge up
the field, winning a
short corner, from
which Wong's
speculative shot
somehow wormed its
way through the
goalkeeper's legs
and into the goal.
It still required
some smart defending
from Lopez-Martinez
and Ratledge to make
sure that the game
went into overtime,
but one could sense
that the momentum
had changed.
But, to their
credit, Mt. Carmel
refused to be
cowed. They started
overtime strongly,
and it took a save
from Ganther that
defied belief to
preserve the tie.
The ball was driven
into the circle and
took a big
deflection that sent
it looping in the
air, seemingly
headed for the top
left-hand corner.
The diminutive
Ganther, however,
leapt high to her
right and,
incredibly, knocked
the ball away with
her stick to
safety. It was a
moment of tremendous
athleticism that was
worthy of winning
any game. Minutes
later, her teammates
made sure her save
was worth it when
Wong pounced on a
loose ball in the
circle and crossed
to the far post,
where Smith was
waiting to score her
7th, and surely most
dramatic, goal of
the season.
Goal: Wong (8), Smith (7)
Assist: Lafontaine (2), Wong
(5)
San Marcos starters: Kalaya Ganther; Yasmine Perez, Jessica Lafontaine, Briann Lopez-Martinez, Celeste Hernandez, Carly Buso, Kristen Yaldo, Tracy Raatledge, Danielle Wong, Cassidy Heidt, Kandyce Smith |
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Game Report: San Marcos 1 Orange Glen 0
After 2 overtime losses this
season, the Knights put a
few demons to rest with
their first overtime win
since a 2-1 victory against
Mission Hills in 2006,
ending their streak of
overtime losses at 3. As
exciting as the game was,
however, it was a contest
that the Lady Knights
dominated and should have
ended long before Wong
picked up Hernandez's pass,
bulldozed into the circle,
and found a way to squeak
the ball past the OG
goalkeeper.
With music blaring and
floodlights lighting up the
late afternoon sky, the
Knights took the field in
ebullient mood. From the
opening push-back, they
showed purpose and pace on
the ball. Atkinson, making
her second Varsity start,
was impressive on the right,
and Yaldo, Ratledge, and
Buso put some lovely moves
together down the left.
With the neat passing, the
forwards were accorded lots
of space to run at the
Patriots' defense, and an
easy win appeared to be on
the cards. However, the
Orange Glen defense stood
firm in redoubtable fashion,
conceding several short
corners, but crowding the
goal area against the white
shirts that laid seige to
it. Twice, Wong's hard
cross-goal push found Heidt
at the back post, but twice
the center-forward miscued.
Ratledge, with her
hard-swept balls, looked the
most likely to score, but
when she connected well, the
ball was raised and deemed
dangerous.
The defense endured one
nervous moment when a break
down the left went
unchallenged and the ensuing
ball into the middle caused
pandemonium. It needed a
double save from Ganther and
a fine block from Crossno to
prevent the Patriots from
taking the lead. After the
teams switched sides for the
second half, Orange Glen
looked more dangerous going
forward, and San Marcos
looked to be running out of
ideas and time. Cameos from
Canseco and Hersh were
laudable, with Hersh in
particular creating several
chances down the right, but
the Orange Glen goalkeeper
was in inspired form. With
five minutes to go, and the
Knights pouring forward in
search of the winning goal,
a cross from Wong eluded
everyone as it flew across
the goalmouth. Seconds
later, an almost identical
ball found Smith, 4 yards
out. Her perfectly executed
first-time shot flew towards
the top corner, but the
Patriots' 'keeper thrust out
a meaty glove and batted the
ball away to safety.
That proved to be the
Knights' final opportunity
before the chosen 7 (Ganther,
Crossno, Perez, Yaldo,
Hernandez, Wong, and Heidt)
took the field for
overtime. But 4 minutes in,
the Knights' frustrations
were turned into joy, and
perhaps, just an ounce of
relief, and the team
jubilantly mobbed Wong, who
left the field clutching the
game ball.
Goal: Wong (7)
Assist: Hernandez (3)
JV Score: 5-0 (Goals: Baggerly 3, Puentes, Agnew; Assists: Puentes 2,
Steele)
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Game Ball: Wong |
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Game Report: San Marcos 0 San Dieguito Academy 4
Same team, same score, same
gritty performance. For the
second time this season, the
Knights put in a heroic
performance against a San
Dieguito team boasting
incredible firepower. On
senior "night" at the
Academy, San Marcos quickly
quietened the crowd with a
committed and aggressive
first half performance. It
started a little ominously,
with several shots from the
Mustangs going wide.
Ganther remained stout in
goal, and moments later,
made an excellent, if
unorthodox save - diving
forward to intercept a
cross/shot. At the other
end, neat interplay between
Wong, Hernandez, and Heidt
led to a good shot on goal
from the latter, and this
was shortly followed by a
frantic goalmouth scramble
in which the ball just
wouldn't fall for a Knight.
With just a minute to go in
the first half, another
break down the left ended
with a Mustang striker
comfortably beating Ganther
in a one-on-one, giving SDA
a 1-0 lead. Immediately
after the restart, Buso left
the game with an ankle
injury, and, still
shellshocked, the Knights
immediately conceded another
goal to leave themselves in
a 2-0 hole at half time.
And within seconds of the
start of the second half,
the Mustangs scored a third,
to cap a devastating 2 and a
half minute spell.
The squad remained upbeat,
despite the sorry sight of
Wright and Buso convalescing
on the bench. Hernandez
produced several moments of
sublime skill, Yaldo refused
to back down in midfield,
and Perez was combative and
assured in defense. For the
rest of the half, the Lady
Knights' lionhearted
commitment meant that
although they spent large
portions of the game on the
defensive, they were able to
break up the attacks and
disrupt the fluidity that
the Mustangs craved.
Ganther made a string of
fabulous saves, tallying 14
for the game, and Canseco
had a nice run up the right
flank. Ratledge deserves a
special mention for playing
the entire game against a
frighteningly quick SDA
right side. Unfortunately,
a late goal spoiled the
end, but the Knights were
able to forge one final
chance. After good work
from Smith, a short corner
was won, and Wong's well-hit
shot was saved to end the
game.
JV Score: 2-0 (Goals: Steele, Karalis; Assist: Cunningham)
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Game Ball: Ganther |
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Game Report: San Marcos 1 Canyon Crest (OT)
Another heart-breaking
overtime defeat for the Lady
Knights, who saw shades of
the Mission Hills game in
this latest Valley League
contest. Just as against
Mission Hills, the Knights
started slowly, dominated
the second half, and then
lost minutes into the
overtime period, as a
breakaway from the Ravens
led to a shot buried into
the goal from the top of the
circle - a real "no
doubter".
The San Marcos traditional
slow start was punished
early by the Ravens, who put
together a slick short
corner routine that ended
with a deflected shot at the
left post. Perhaps the
absence of Crossno, usually
a steadying influence, was
to blame. Within seconds,
however, the Knights roared
back into contention. A
trademark Wong run and cross
found Heidt, who was able to
bundle the ball into the net
and tie the game. In her
first start at center
forward, Heidt impressed
throughout with her powerful
running and deft touches.
She was at the heart of most
of her team's attacks. The
remainder of the first half
was a rather cagey affair,
with neither team able to
establish any kind of
consistent pressure.
Ganther was rarely troubled,
and the midfield, despite
missing Wright (ankle
injury...just don't ask
how), was able to garner a
decent amount of possession,
while denying the Ravens any
significant time on the
ball.
In the second half, the
Knights were in the
ascendency almost
throughout. Buso, Yaldo,
Ratledge, and Hernandez ran
riot in the midfield, and as
the game wore on, they
seemed to gain strength,
giving a fine display of
physical, committed hockey.
Clear-cut chances, however,
were limited as the Canyon
Crest defense stood firm.
With less than ten minutes
remaining, the Knights had
the ball in the goal.
However, with a Raven player
using a foot in an attempt
to clear the ball, the
whistle had already gone,
awarding a penalty stroke to
the Knights. Holding the
whistle a second more would
have enabled the goal to
stand! As luck would have
it, the usually excellent
Ratledge could only direct
her stroke straight at the
goalkeeper. And so, on we
went to overtime...
Goal: Heidt (7)
Assist: Wong (4)
JV Score: 0-1 (strokes)
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Game Ball: Heidt |
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Game Report: San Marcos 1 Mt. Carmel 1 (3-1 in strokes)
San Marcos starters: Kalaya Ganther; Yasmin Perez, Jessica Lafontaine, Kori Crossno; Celeste Hernandez, Jordan Wright, Kristen Yaldo, Carly Buso, Danielle Wong, Kandyce Smith, Cassidy Heidt, |
Game Ball: Crossno |
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Game Report: San Marcos 0 San Dieguito 4
For
40 glorious minutes, the San
Marcos Lady Knights gave the
No.6-ranked Mustangs a real
fright. Playing with skill and
commitment that at times verged
on reckless abandon, the Knights
gave an excellent account of
themselves, with San Dieguito
scoring twice in the final 2
minutes to add a little gloss to
the scoreline.
Early on, combative midfield
play from Wright and Buso
ensured that San Marcos won
plenty of possession, and thanks
to sparkling play from Hernandez
and Wong, they were able to make
the most of it, marauding down
the right. San Dieguito got on
the scoreboard inside the first
10 minutes, from a short corner,
but otherwise the "D-Unit" was
able to keep the pacy and
skillful SDA forwards at bay.
Ganther made two quality saves
midway through the first half,
and with five minutes to go, the
Knights mounted a frenzied
attack that saw both Smith and
Wong force excellent saves from
the SDA goalie, with the rebound
falling tantalizingly out of the
Knights' reach on each
occasion. Both chances
originated from fine play down
the left from Buso and Heidt.
Had San Marcos scored then...who
knows?!!
For
ten minutes in the second half,
the Knights continued to work
hard. Yaldo, in particular, was
outstanding, combining crunching
tackles with relentless running
and challenging for possession.
When the Mustangs scored their
second, on a breakaway, heads
did not go down, and the Knights
kept fighting, with Smith
leading several forays deep into
SDA territory. A very physical
game finally took its toll,
however, and Ganther was
required to make several more
saves before the final two
(somewhat soft) goals ended the
Knights' hopes for good.
San Marcos starters: Kalaya Ganther; Yasmin Perez, Jessica Lafontaine, Kori Crossno; Celeste Hernandez, Jordan Wright, Tracy Ratledge, Carly Buso, Kandyce Smith, Cassidy Heidt, Daniel Wong JV Score: 0-2 |
Game Ball: Yaldo |
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Game Report: San Marcos 3 Orange Glen 1
The Lady
Knights got off to their customary
slow start, being put under pressure
by some aggressive forward play and
unusual offensive schemes. And it
was no surprise that the home team
scored first, after the
customary goalmouth scramble.
Undeterred, San Marcos slowly
started finding their feet.
However, the forwards were unable to
convert several chances, with the
Patriots' goalkeeper standing firm.
With Heidt moving to the center
forward position, however, they
gradually began to pour through big
gaps in the Orange Glen defense.
However, it took an outstanding save
by Ganther to keep the deficit at
just one. But after winning a free
hit following the breakdown of a
short corner, Lafontaine's hard-hit
shot was deflected into the goal by
Buso and the two teams were tied 1-1
at half time.
Going
down the slope, San Marcos dominated
the second half, scoring twice, and
coming close on many more
occasions. It was Heidt who broke
the deadlock, capping an impressive
game with a deflection of her own
from Wong's hard push from the top
of the circle. WIth Wong and
Hernandez having their way down the
right, chances started to come thick
and fast, and the Knights got that
all-important third goal when
Hernandez's cross/shot from the
right was bundled into the net by
Atkinson (her first ever goal). Her
cameo had been impressive, as had
the play of Crossno, who played as a
midfielder at times. At the back,
Perez ensured that the OG "cherry
picker" had little to feed off, and
the Knights ran out comfortable
winners in the end.
Goals:
Buso (2), Heidt (5), Atkinson (1)
Assists:
Lafontaine (1), Wong (2), Hernandez
(2)
San Marcos starters: Kalaya Ganther; Yasmin Perez, Jessica Lafontaine, Kori Crossno; Celeste Hernandez, Jordan Wright, Kristen Yaldo, Carly Buso, Kandyce Smith, Cassidy Heidt, Daniel Wong JV Score: 4-0 (Goals: Baggerly 2, Steele 2; Assists: O'Brien, Steele) |
Game Ball: Atkinson |
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Game Report: San Marcos 0 Mission Hills 1 (OT)
On a
blustery Saturday morning, the Lady
Knights lost to their crosstown rivals
in heart-breaking fashion to a
sudden-victory overtime goal. Having
been outplayed in the first half, San
Marcos gave an excellent second half
performance that gave them plenty of
optimism as they headed for overtime.
Within minutes, however, it was the
Grizzlies who were celebrating after a
long ball out of defense became a
one-on-one with the 'keeper. Ganther
made a partial save, but it wasn't
enough to stop the ball
rolling inexorably over the line.
Mission
Hills started the game purposefully and
aggressively, almost immediately
breaking down the right and forcing a
short corner. With quick free hits and
determined running off the ball, the
Knights were unable to hold off the
attacks, and relied on several Ganther
saves to preserve the tie. Buso, on the
left of midfield, was a bright spot in
the first-half gloom, and Crossno and
Perez, as usual, gave no quarter.
Despite the Grizzlies having masses of
possession, and despite their impotent
attacks, San Marcos, incredibly, ended
the first half still in a 0-0 tie.
The second
half was almost the complete opposite.
Whilst Mission Hills still looked
dangerous on the ball, the Knights
finally found their stride. Hernandez,
Perez, and Wong began to link up well,
and Heidt and Smith started seeing more
and more ball in the opponents' third of
the field. With about 10 minutes to go,
a frantic scramble in front of the cage
saw Wong shoot but the goalie made a
good save. Smith and Heidt also forced
saves, and just when it looked like
their pressure might pay off, the
whistle blew to signal a 0-0 deadlock
and to start the ill-fated overtime.
San Marcos starters: Kalaya Ganther; Yasmin Perez, Jessica Lafontaine, Kori Crossno; Celeste Hernandez, Jordan Wright, Tracy Ratledge, Carly Buso, Kandyce Smith, Cassidy Heidt, Lenci Canseco JV Score: 2-0 (Goals: Curiel 2; Assists: Baggerly 2) |
Game Ball: Buso |
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Game Report: San Marcos 0 Valley Center 8/strong>
In their league
opener, the Knights were swept aside by a
devastating display of Jaguar relentless
attacking hockey. Conceding 4 goals in each
half, San Marcos had no answer for the pace
and precision of Valley Center's passing and
movement. However, tempted as one would be
to dismiss the game as a massacre, there was
much to be optimistic about from the
Knights' perspective, particularly the
aggressive manner in which they acquitted
themselves.
Valley Center,
establishing their attacking intent early in
the game, scored directly from a short
corner after just 4 minutes. However, for
the next 15 minutes, the Knights manfully
defended and retained enough possession to
threaten several times on the attack.
First, good work from Heidt down the left
released Buso, whose cross found Smith. Her
shot was saved. Minutes later, enterprising
play from Hernandez played in Wong to make a
trademark run down the right. The forward
made an intelligent pass to the back of the
circle where Smith again had an opportunity
to tie the game. The shot went wide and the
momentum was lost. Meanwhile, at the other
end, Ganther was virtually single-handedly
keeping the Knights in the game, making two
saves from point-blank range, and 8 in total
during the first half.
Valley Center's
second goal came on a break down the right
and sheer numbers of black shirts in the
circle overwhelmed the defense. This opened
the floodgates and the Jaguars ended up
scoring 3 in the space of 5 minutes at the
end of the first half. Two minutes into the
second half, they scored again. The Knights
recovered sufficiently from this paralysis
to make a decent fist of it for the next
twenty minutes, aggressively pursuing the
ball and, in some cases, the player, too!
Hernandez and Buso deserve particular
mention for their tireless work, and they
were ably supported by Yaldo, Ratledge, and
Wright. They mave have lacked the Jaguars'
skill, but they wanted for nothing when it
came to crunching tackles. Crossno was the
pick of the defense, exhibiting tenacity and
skill on and off the ball.
As the game drew
to a close and with the Jaguars' starters
back in the game, the Knights tired and
allowed 3 more goals that gave the
scoreboard a rather harsh look. It must be
hoped, however, that the experience of
playing in such a physically bruising
encounter against quality opposition was an
enjoyable for the players, regardless of the
result.
San Marcos starters: Kalaya Ganther; Yasmin Perez, Jessica Lafontaine, Kori Crossno; Celeste Hernandez, Jordan Wright, Tracy Ratledge, Carly Buso, Danielle Wong, Kandyce Smith, Cassidy Heidt JV Score: 2-1 (Goals: Greig, Cunningham; Assists: Steele 2) |
Game Ball: Hernandez |
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Game Report: San Marcos 0 Escondido 2/strong>
The Knights saw
their three game winning streak snapped by a
good Cougars team who dominated long stretches
of the game but were unable to break through
until the final quarter of the game. Struggling
with a grass field that made quick passing
difficult, the Knights were unable to replicate
their success at retaining possession of the
ball.
A bright opening saw
opportunities for all three forwards, Abram,
Heidt, and Smith to get shots on goal, but aside
from one "pinball" moment where the ball
rebounded from player to player, San Marcos was
unable to create a meaningful chance. Without
Wong, sidelined by a thumb injury, passes or
hits into the circle were not chased down, and
before too long, the opportunity to take
advantage of a slow Cougars start was lost.
Hard physical play
in midfield, embodied by Yaldo and Buso, helped
the Knights break up the Cougar attacks, but,
emboldened by their glut of possession,
Escondido started to make regular forages into
the San Marcos circle. Ganther made two smart
saves in succession, and a number of hard-hit
balls eluded everyone to run harmlessly out of
bounds. With the score tied, 0-0, at halftime,
the Knights felt ready for an assault of their
own on the opposition, but they spent most of
the second half tied down in their own half.
Unable to force even one second half short
corner, they had to rely on Perez, Lafontaine,
and Crossno to repel the Escondido attacks.
With twelve minutes
to go, the Cougars broke up a San Marcos attack
and sent a long cross-field ball to the left
which was chased down by their forward. She
pulled the ball back and slipped it past Ganther
at the near post. Crucially, they scored in
identical fashion less than a minute afterwards,
and that, as they say, was the "hammer blow".
As time ticked away, the Knights mounted several
attacks of their own, but rarely did any ball
into the circle cause consternation for the
Cougars' defense. Smith provided the lone
spark, looking dangerous on the attack, but she
simply did not have enough support from a
flagging team.
JV Score: 0-2
San Marcos starters:
Kalaya
Ganther; Yasmin Perez, Jessica Lafontaine, Kori
Crossno; Celeste Hernandez, Jordan Wright, Kristen Yaldo, Carly
Buso, Kandyce Smith, Cassidy Heidt, Lauren Abram
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Game Ball: Smith |
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Game Report: San Marcos 2 Eastlake 0
In easily their best
performance of the season to date, the Knights
defeated a physical and pacy Eastlake team with a
first half that was filled with excellent hockey.
Despite holding on rather tenuously at times in the
second half, San Marcos held on for their third
consecutive win to even their record at 4-4.
The Lady Knights showed
their attacking intent early. Wright and Hernandez
were at the heart of some simple but very effective
passing move, enabling their team to move the ball
with great fluidity. Smith, Wong, and Heidt had
plenty of possession, and a very disciplined
defensive performance kept the opposition forwards
at bay. Less than 10 minutes into the game, Crossno
picked up a loose ball from a short corner and her
hard push had enough pace to get over the line with
the goalie out of position. Heidt and Wong also
forced good saves from close range, and the Knights
looked dangerous. Eastlake were no slouches,
either, taking quick free hits and changing
attacking schemes regularly. However Crossno,
Lafontaine, and Perez were up to the challenge, and
a combination of well-timed tackles and pragmatic
clearances meant that Eastlake's only clear chance
came on a break away after a Knights short corner
went awry. However, Ganther had a good angle on the
approaching forward, and the danger passed.
Crucially, despite a
ropey start to the second half, the Knights scored
just over 10 minutes in. Smith picked up a loose
ball 35 yards out, and set off on a run that took
her past three defenders and into the circle.
Embodying calmness, she slipped the ball past the
approaching 'keeper to double her team's lead. It
was a goal worthy of winning any game. From then
on, the defense took over. Eastlake put
considerable pressure on the Knights' goal,
searching for a way back into the game. But despite
a plethora of short corners, the Titans were not
able to break through, and their best chance was
thwarted by a fine save by Ganther, who dived to her
left to smother a shot and tip it round the post.
Hernandez was outstanding in a defensive midfield
role, time and again tracking down 50/50 balls and
creating something almost every time she was on the
ball. With the other midfielders selflessly
challenging every tackle, every pass, there was no
way the Knights were going to be denied their
first home win of the season.
Goals: Crossno (2) Smith (5)
Shutout: Ganther (2)
JV Score: 1-0 (strokes)
San Marcos starters:
Kalaya
Ganther; Yasmin Perez, Jessica Lafontaine, Kori
Crossno; Celeste Hernandez, Jordan Wright, Kristen Yaldo, Carly
Buso, Danielle Wong, Kandyce Smith, Cassidy Heidt
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Game Ball: Smith |
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Game Report: San Marcos 3 Madison 1
A second consecutive
game on grass on a second consecutive blisteringly
hot day gave the Knights a second consecutive road
win. This was, overall, an excellent performance on
a tricky field against a team who could have given
the Lady Knights problems. Despite conceding 11
short corners and only winning 4 over the course of
the game. San Marcos scored from 2 of those
corners, and it was the improved execution that made
the difference.
The Knights dominated
the game early. "Wong and Heidt, in particular,
caused the Warhawks' defense serious problems going
forward, with the "sticky" grass proving to be their
only hindrance. Wright made several incisive passes
into the circle, and Yaldo was busy as ever, mopping
up loose balls around the fringes. San Marcos took
the lead when Wong, released down the right, crossed
for Heidt who, sent the ball across the face of the
goal where Buso gleefully tapped in at the far left
post. Galvanised by their early success, the
visiting Knights continued to pour forward whenever
the opportunity arose. Meanwhile, Perez,
Lafontaine, and Crossno provided a very solid
defensive platform from which the attacks could be
launched. Ganther was only troubled once in the
first half, and the Knights lead 1-0 at the break.
For the first 10 minutes
of the second half, the story was much the same.
Ratledge, on the right side of midfield, looked
particularly sharp, while the introduction of Smith
and Hernandez gave the Knights a lift. It was Smith
who doubled San Marcos' advantage when she swept
home a goal after Wong's cross/shot could only be
partially cleared by the goalie. From then on,
however, the Warhawks had a period of sustained
pressure, forcing 7 second half short corners.
Stevenson, on as a substitute, made 2 delightful
tackles, but again, it was Perez who stole the show
at the back. Tenacious in defense, and keen to
attack whenever possible, she provided her team with
much-needed relief from the pressure. Madison did
score, though, with 9 minutes to go when a hart-hit
short corner shot eluded Ganther, who was unsighted
with defenders in front of her.
Rather than bow to the
resurgent Warhawks, San Marcos marched back up the
field and won a short corner. As the move broke
down, Crossno spotted Canseco unmarked, 7 yards out
on the left, and her pass was rocketed into the goal
by the forward to seal the victory. This was
Canseco's first ever goal, and the emotional scenes
that followed confirmed that it arrived at an apt
time for both the team and the player. With JV's
1-0 win, the Lady Knights' field hockey program
improved to 6-0 on grass this season.
Goals: Buso (1), Smith (4), Conseco (1)
Assists: Heidt (2), Wong (1), Crossno (1)
JV Score: 1-0 (Goal: Baggerly)
San Marcos starters: "Kalaya
Ganther; Yasmin Perez, Jessica Lafontaine, Kori
Crossno; Tracy Ratledge, Jordan Wright, Kristen Yaldo, Carly
Buso, Cassidy Heidt, Danielle Wong, Lauren Abram
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Game Ball: Conseco |
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Game Report: San Marcos 1 Otay Ranch 1 (San Marcos wins 3-2 on strokes)
In a dramatic end to a pulsating game, the Knights
prevailed against the Mustangs in a penalty shoot out,
with Ganther acrobatically denying the final Otay Ranch
stroke-taker just after Hernandez had put the team ahead
with a gorgeous shot high into the net. Earlier, a
scoreless overtime was played after the Knights had come
from behind to tie the game in regulation.
On a hot day and a rather dubious grass field, the
Knights started strongly. Much of their early success
came courtesy of strong runs through the middle by
Smith, and some nice linking play in midfield by Yaldo
and Hernandez. Hard-driven free hits by Lafontaine
kept the Mustangs pinned in their own half, and during
one spell of pressure the Knights forced 6 consecutive
short corners. Buso had two excellent chances in
succession from the middle of the circle, but drove both
into the goalie's pads. Wong also came desperately
close, connecting with Crossno's drive, but her shot was
saved at point blank range.
Within seconds of the second half starting, Otay Ranch
marched straight down the field and scored with apparent
ease after a rash of missed and poorly timed tackles.
It took a while for the reeling Knights to recover, and
Otay Ranch nearly added a second, but fine defensive
play from Perez kept the game alive. Her confidence
seemed contagious as the defense from then on played
very well and largely contained the Mustang forwards.
As San Marcos slowly came back into the game, Smith and
Hernandez became increasingly influential. Cameos from
Ratledge and Wright ensured that the ball kept moving
upfield. With 10 minutes to go, Heidt received a ball
from a short corner, turned, and with the goalkeeper
wrong-footed, pushed the ball to the far post, where
Hersh was on hand to tap in her first ever goal.
In overtime, both Heidt and Smith had excellent chances
on the break to score, and Otay Ranch somehow missed an
open goal after a protracted goalmouth scramble in front
of Ganther. Wong made one outstanding play, running
back to cut out a goal-bound ball with Ganther
stranded. In strokes, San Marcos started badly, with
both Lafontaine and Smith missing. Ganther's fine stick
save, however, galvanised the team. Wong scored to the
right before Ratledge unleashed a "no-doubter" into the
lower left-hand corner. Ganther and Hernandez's heroics
ensured that the Knights won a game that, on balance,
they deserved to win.
Goals: Hersh (1), Wong (6), Ratledge (1), Hernandez (1)
Assists: Heidt (1)
San Marcos starters: "Kalaya
Ganther; Briann Lopez-Martinez, Jessica Lafontaine, Kori
Crossno; Celeste Hernandez, Jordan Wright, Carly Buso, Kristen Yaldo, Danielle Wong, Kandyce Smith, Cassidy Heidt
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Game Ball: Perez |
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Game Report: San Marcos 0 Mission Bay 1
Another exciting game saw the
Knights slip to their second consecutive 1-goal defeat at
home. Despite some excellent passing, and many
opportunities to pressure the Bucs' goal, they could not
force an equaliser despite dominating the second half.
A fairly even first half saw San
Marcos maintain the lion's share of possession, with Mission
Bay threatening on the break. Hernandez, returning to the
starting line-up, showed composure and creativity on the
right. Ganther made a fine save across her body on a
Mission Bay break, but could not keep the ball out of the
goal when a similar save rebounded to an attacker. To
inject some pace into the game, Wong moved into midfield,
and ensured the Knights had plenty of opportunities to go
forward. The Knights closed the half with 3 quick short
corners, but on each one, something went wrong.
Poor execution continued to
plague the home team in the second half, while Ganther made
two more key saves to keep them in contention. Wong went
close with two long range shots, but the longer the game
went on, the more frantic and less composed the Knights'
play became. Wright and Hernandez were respectively
industrious and incisive in midfield, but for all their
possession, the Knights were rarely able to penetrate the
circle, and the Bucs held on relatively comfortably in the
end.
San Marcos starters: "Kalaya
Ganther; Briann Lopez-Martinez, Jessica Lafontaine, Kori
Crossno; Celeste Hernandez, Carly Buso, Kristen Yaldo, Tracy
Ratledge; Danielle Wong, Kandyce Smith, Cassidy Heidt
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Game Ball: Hernandez |
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Game Report: San Marcos 0 Bishop's 3
As slightly
misleading scoreline does not reflect the quality performance
that the Lady Knights turned in against the Knights of the
Bishop's School in La Jolla. Forced into several changes,
notably that of Atkinson making her first start on the right
side of midfield, San Marcos played with an intensity and drive
that hitherto had been missing from their play.
Despite some early
pressure from Bishop's, San Marcos were able to make several
forages into enemy territory, gaining plenty of success down the
right, in particular. Despite not being able to make a
meaningful shot on goal, Wong and Smith were aggressive and
caused lots of problems for the defenders. In midfield,
although overmatched at times, Yaldo and Buso ensured that San
Marcos won plenty of possession. At the back, Bishop's was able
to force Ganther into several saves, but they were all routine,
thanks to the tenacity of the back three.
Bishop's broke the deadlock midway
through the first half with a "trickler" that seemed to cross
the line in slow motion. San Marcos countered almost
immediately, and good work from Wong gave Smith the chance to
cross, but unfortunately Abram could not get on the end of it.
The second half continued in much the same way, and the
introduction of Hernandez gave the midfield more creativity.
The defense was tiring, but led by the irrepressible Lafontaine,
they kept going. Bishop's scored a well worked goal with 15
minutes to go, but still San Marcos continued to put pressure on
as they went forward. Wong, left alone by her marker, had lots
of freedom, and used it to maraud up the right wing. One such
run found Smith again, and her cross to the far post just eluded
Canseco. As the clock wound down, Bishop's scored a rather soft
goal that gave the scoreline a slightly flattering look.
San Marcos starters: Kalaya Ganther;
Alicia Stevenson, Jessica Lafontaine, Kori Crossno; Sarah
Atkinson, Carly Buso, Kristen Yaldo, Tracy Ratledge; Danielle
Wong, Kandyce Smith, Lauren Abram
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Game Ball: Lafontaine |
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Game Report: San Marcos 14 El Cajon Valley 0
The Lady Knights
gained their first win of the season with an emphatic victory
over the Braves in a blissfully cool El Cajon. The rout was
started early on - Kandyce Smith
had 3 goals inside the first 10 minutes. Her second was a
beauty - receiving a pass from
Boehmler inside the circle with her
back to goal, turning swiftly, beating a defender and easily
slipping the ball past the goalkeeper. After
Yaldo had
gone close with an aerial shot, birthday girl
Heidt netted
two quick goals after cutting in from the right. With the grass
in good condition, and the Braves posing very little offensive
threat (Ganther
did not make a save the entire game), San Marcos exuded
confidence on the ball, and swept forward in wave after wave of
attack. Danielle Wong
came off the bench and scored 4 almost identical unassisted
goals before halftime, each involving her using her pace to
break into the circle, beat any remaining defenders, and finding
the goal with a minimum of fuss. A rare goal from a
short corner brought cheers as
Crossno
picked up a
loose ball
and hammered it in from the top of the circle.
Atkinson,
getting her first extended playing time of the season came
desperately close on two occasions.
With a
10-0 lead at halftime, changes were made, and a bizarre line up
included Stevenson
at right half, and Wright at center forward.
Lauren Abram
wasted no time and had herself a hattrick in a few second half
minutes, one from a lovely cross from
Hernandez.
As the game wore on and the Knights attempted to pass the ball
around a little more, true scoring opportunities decreased, and
El Cajon made several forages into San Marcos territory.
Alvarez,
making her senior debut, made several well timed tackles that
showed she has a bright future. Appropriately,
Heidt rounded
off the scoring with a thumping drive from the top of the
circle.
Having been the victim of quite a few one sided affairs in the
past few seasons, the girls really enjoyed having the boot on
the other foot. The raucous cupcake celebrations were well
deserved, and the infectious buzz of happiness lasted all the
way home.
Goals:
Wong 4 (5), Smith 3 (3), Heidt 3 (4), Abram 3 (3), Crossno (1)
Assists:
Boehmler 2 (2), Smith (1), Wright (2), Canseco (1), Hernandez
(1)
Shutout:
Ganther (1)
San Marcos starters:
Kalaya Ganther; Briann
Lopez-Martinez, Jessica Lafontaine, Kori Crossno; Jordan Wright,
Carly Buso, Kristen Yaldo, Jayne Boehmler; Cassidy Heidt,
Kandyce Smith, Lauren Abram
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Game Ball: Wong |
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Game Report: The first home game of the season ended with the lottery of penalty strokes. With Clairemont getting the opportunity to win with the final stroke, Ganther got a foot to the ball, but could not prevent it from trickling over the line, a most cruel end to the match. Earlier, Wong had scored to keep the game alive. Lafontaine, on the bench for almost all of the game, converted the other.The game started at a desperately slow pace which did not help the Lady Knights, who reciprocated by being sluggish on the ball and unadventurous off it. The introduction of Wright gave San Marcos more width, and after Wong (a persistent threat down the right) had had a shot saved, Wright broke into the circle on the next attack and crossed the ball for Heidt, who at the second attempt, scored her first senior goal on the back post. The goal reinvigorated the Knights, who started spreading the ball far more efficiently. However, the defense, without Lafontaine, had several shaky moments. Twice, Ganther bailed them out by making reaction saves, and one shot went narrowly wide.
As the second half wore on, the pattern remained the same: The Knights had the best chances in an exciting overtime period. Smith, in particular, was a constant threat. Heidt forced a double save from the Clairemont ‘keeper, but again, no-one could put a hard shot on goal, and despite one outstanding save by Ganther during the penalty strokes, Hernandez, Ratledge, and Smith all missed, consigning San Marcos to an 0-2 start to the season. Goals: Heidt (1), Lafontaine (1), Wong (1) Assist: Wright (1)San Marcos starters: Kalaya Ganther; Briann Lopez-Martinez, Yasmin Perez, Kori Crossno; Carly Buso, Celeste Hernandez, Tracy Ratledge, Kristen Yaldo; Danielle Wong, Kandyce Smith, Cassidy HeidtGame Ball: Heidt
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Game Report:
A number of Knights were making their first
varsity starts: Heidt,
Ratledge, and
Yaldo, as well as
the entire defensive unit of
Lafontaine, Crossno, Stevenson, and Ganther.
Despite the good spirit and aggressive
commitment, especially from the midfield, much of An unfortunate own goal and another fast break in the second half ended the scoring. While the score probably reflected the disparity in the teams’ respective abilities, there was much to be optimistic about. The many who stepped up from last year’s JV squad showed that they had the appetite and the “game” for the varsity level. Yaldo, Buso, and Crossno in particular worked tirelessly. Ganther, playing her first game of any kind, was a revelation in goal, making 7 quality saves, including one high to her left. And, overall, despite lacking some of the fundamental skills required, players generally made attempts to execute plays that they had learned in practice. San Marcos starters: Kalaya Ganther; Alicia Stevenson, Jessica Lafontaine, Kori Crossno; Carly Buso, Celeste Hernandez, Tracy Ratledge, Kristen Yaldo; Danielle Wong, Kandyce Smith, Cassidy Heidt Game Ball: Ganther
JV score: 0-3 |
