Publication Date: Friday, January 07, 2005
PREP SOCCER
Gunn, Paly are set for showdown
Gunn, Paly are set for showdown
(January 07, 2005) by Keith Peters
The first showdown of the SCVAL De Anza Division boys' soccer season will be spotlighted in more ways than one when Palo Alto hosts Gunn tonight.
If the weather cooperates - a storm is expected to hit the local area all day - the Vikings and Titans will meet in the first night soccer match ever played at Palo Alto.
The originally scheduled afternoon match has been pushed back to 5:30 p.m., to be played on the Vikings' football team and under the lights. The spotlight will be on the Vikings (2-0, 5-2-2) and Titans (2-0-1, 11-1-2) in their first of two league battles this season.
Both squads set up the possible showdown with victories Wednesday. The Vikings got a goal from David White (off an assist by Estevan Guerrero) for a 1-0 triumph at Santa Clara. The Titans rallied in the final seconds to pull out a 2-1 win in a home game played at Mountain View, due to poor field conditions at Gunn.
Gunn had taken a 1-0 lead into the final three minutes when Mountain View snuck in a tying goal. Just 45 seconds later, Sam Zipperstein crossed a ball to Alex Guzinski and Guzinski headed in the winning goal. Guzinski had given Gunn a 1-0 lead when he took a goal kick from Brian Weinstein and knocked in the long pass earlier in the second half.
Palo Alto also waited until the second half to pull out its key victory at Santa Clara. Guerrero took a corner kick, crossed it to White and White headed it in.
Paly defenders Cameron Taylor, Kevin Briggs and Billy Chen did a fine job of preserving the shutout, as did keeper Tommy Brown, who used his 6-foot-3 height to his advantage and punched out several crosses to deny the Bruins.
In PAL Bay Division boys' soccer action, Menlo (2-1-1, 6-1-3) got a goal from Ryan Cavan (off an assist by Devon Arscott) for a 1-1 deadlock with visiting Burlingame, and Menlo-Atherton (0-2-2, 1-5-3) remained winless following a 3-1 home-field loss to Sequoia. Matt Wheeler scored for the Bears.
In girls' soccer, Palo Alto (1-0-1, 6-1-4) had to rally from an early 1-0 deficit to pull out a 2-2 tie with visiting Los Gatos. Austinn Freeman scored both goals for the Vikings. Gunn (0-2, 2-4-2) got a goal from Stephanie Randall in a 2-1 loss at Mountain View.
Kelley Finch scored two goals to help Menlo (1-2-1, 5-3-2) win its first PAL Bay Division match, a 5-1 romp over winless Terra Nova. Erica Swanson, who missed the preseason with a broken collarbone, returned to the team and provided an assist. Kate Bentley, Molly Lapolla and Emma McCarthy also scored goals for Menlo.
Menlo-Atherton (2-2, 7-4-1) dropped a 3-0 decision to visiting Burlingame while Castilleja (0-1, 2-3-1) opened West Bay Athletic League play with a 3-1 loss to Mercy-Burlingame at El Camino Park.
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