Menlo, M-A teams set for PAL soccer Menlo, M-A teams set for PAL soccer (December 03, 2004)

Early division openers get under way next week while local basketball tournaments tip off the winter schedule

by Keith Peters

Ready or not, the Menlo School and Menlo-Atherton boys' and girls' soccer teams open their respective PAL Bay Division seasons next week.

The girls will get under way first on Tuesday, with Menlo hosting Woodside and Menlo-Atherton playing host to Carlmont in openers at 3 p.m.

On Wednesday, the same boys' teams will meet at the same sites in a sort of delayed doubleheader.

None of the local teams have played a heavy preseason schedule and likely will be a bit rusty in the three division matches prior to Christmas. The Carlmont at M-A girls' match will be a real test for the Bears, who also will host Menlo on Dec. 14 before taking a break for the holidays.

The M-A girls are off to a 1-1, having posted a 6-0 triumph over Westmont on Tuesday as Katherine Daiss and Kim O'Donnell each scored two goals while Wendy Funk and Kaitlin McGhee added one each.

Menlo was 3-0-1 earlier this week before playing in a few final matches in the Sequoia Tournament. The Knights rolled over Notre Dame-San Jose, 4-1, on Tuesday as Kate Bentley, Risa Hirahara, Julia Raab and Molly Lapolla all scored.

The Sequoia tourney concludes Saturday, with Menlo likely playing in the championship match. Sacred Heart Prep (1-4) also competed at Sequoia this week, dropping a 2-0 decision to Sequoia and then losing a 1-0 match to Hillsdale under first-year coach Juan Camahort, who last month guided the SHP boys team to the Central Coast Section Division III championship.

The Palo Alto Winter Classic began this week with a number of top girls' teams entered, including St. Francis, Presentation, Live Oak, Mitty, Gunn and host Palo Alto.

Gunn (1-1-1) opened with a 4-0 loss to Mitty, but then rebounded Wednesday with a 1-1 deadlock with Leland on a goal by Stephanie Randall.

Palo Alto (1-0) opened its season with a 2-0 win over Santa Teresa as Kathy Nolan and Austinn Freeman provided goals. Nolan's first-half goal was a thing of beauty as she lofted the ball from 35 yards out and tucked it into the upper right corner of the net.

The Vikings played Live Oak on Thursday to decide the Division A winner. Division winners play Saturday at 9 a.m., with the championship match set for 2:45 p.m.

In nonleague play this week, Woodside Priory (2-1) got three goals from Lauren Hecht and solo ones from Christina Tabacco and Helene Jernick in a 5-0 win over visiting Yerba Buena. It was Hecht's first match since helping the Panthers' volleyball team reach the NorCal Division V semifinals last week.

In boys' soccer action, Menlo (2-0-2) had a match Thursday and another Monday prior to opening PAL play next Wednesday. The Knights beat Aragon, 3-1, this week as Kevin Brege scored twice, Charles Wetherell had a goal and one assist, and Ryan Cavan added two assists. The Knights settled for a 0-0 match with Capuchino on Tuesday as keeper Will Pringle had a standout game for Menlo.

Menlo-Atherton (0-2-1), meanwhile, dropped a 3-1 nonleague decision to host St. Ignatius.

Gunn doesn't open SCVAL De Anza Division play until Dec. 15, but the Titans (5-0) appear ready right now. They remained unbeaten with a 2-1 come-from-behind win over host Oak Grove on Wednesday. Alex Guzinski knocked home a penalty kick and Brandon Der provided the game-winner on an assist by Gilmar Arellano.

Palo Alto (1-1-1) fell to Mitty, 2-1, in a first-round match in the Homestead Christmas Cup. David White scored 35 minutes into the match to tie the score, but the Monarchs countered with the game-winner just four minutes later.

The Vikings battled back with Manny Barrigan having several scoring opportunities barely deflected by the Mitty goalie. Paly has another tournament game Saturday before hosting St. Francis on Monday in a nonleague test at 3:15 p.m.

Boys basketball

Palo Alto (1-0) and Menlo-Atherton (1-0) opened their respective seasons with dominating performances in the first round of the 10th annual Gator Classic at Sacred Heart Prep on Wednesday.

Six-foot-6 senior Brian Baskauskas tallied 22 points and 6-6 Greg Walder added 11 as the Vikings downed Mid-Peninsula, 69-45. Martin Mouton grabbed 11 rebounds for the Vikings while Walter Washington led the Dragons with 15 points.

Paly will play Half Moon Bay tonight at 6:30 p.m., with the winner advancing to the championship match Saturday at 8 p.m.

Menlo-Atherton got 28 points and 12 rebounds from senior Dan Trautman and 10 points from Chris Dallmar in a 58-41 triumph over University. The Bears will face Hillsdale in tonight's semifinals at 8 p.m.

"We played pretty ugly in the beginning and the end," said M-A coach Craig Carson, whose team scored just seven points in the first quarter and 11 in the fourth. "In the middle (a combined 40 points), though, we were pretty good."

Host Sacred Heart Prep (0-1), meanwhile, dropped its opener to Hillsdale, 52-47, despite a 20-point effort from junior guard Pat Coffey. The Gators play University today at 5 p.m.

In nonleague play, Gunn (1-1) got 16 points from sophomore Peter Jordan in a 43-34 win over host Los Altos. Pinewood (1-1) opened with a 57-30 win over Downtown College Prep before falling to Evergreen Valley, 61-15.

Girls basketball

Palo Alto (1-1) opened the Mills Holiday Classic with a 65-34 win over San Mateo on Wednesday as Bre Clay tallied 20 points to pace the Vikings. Melody Gaal added 12 points for Paly, who took on Terra Nova last night in the second round.

Sacred Heart Prep (4-0) put its unbeaten streak on the line last night against Santa Cruz in the semifinals of the Gator Classic, hoping to reach Saturday's championship game at 6:30 p.m.

SHP opened with a 56-33 win over University as senior Jessica Pecota led the way with 24 points. Pecota hasn't been held under 21 points in any of her first four games. She's averaging 23.2 points an outing, helped by last weekend's 69 points in three games of the Fog City Classic at Westmoor. She won MVP honors.

In other Gator Classic openers, Eastside Prep (0-1) fell to Westmoor, 62-48, despite 16 points from Brijitta Crum. Menlo-Atherton (0-1) dropped a 44-42 decision to Santa Cruz.

At the Cupertino Tournament, Gunn split its first two games with Jill Klausner's 18 points sparking the Titans to a 47-41 victory over Homestead on Wednesday.

Menlo (1-0) opened with a 60-24 win over host Los Altos as Anna Wifpler led the way with 17 points.

With most of its team intact following the end of a successful volleyball season, Woodside Priory posted a 36-19 victory over Leadership High.

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