Oaks still looking for their Oaks still looking for their (September 28, 2005)first football win of year

by Rick Eymer

The schedule gets even tougher for the Menlo College football team this weekend, which will still be looking for its first win of the season after falling to host Willamette, 52-20, on Saturday in Salem, Ore.

At least the Oaks (0-4) took a positive step during the loss, claiming its first lead of the season when Brandon Gresham kicked a 31-yard field goal with 8:06 remaining in the first quarter.

That lead lasted for two minutes, 44 seconds.

Menlo hopes to continue improving when it hosts Division I-AA San Diego on Saturday for a 12:30 p.m. kickoff at San Jose City College. The Toreros (3-1) are long-time rivals of the Oaks dating to their Division III days.

Palo Alto High grad and former NFL quarterback Jim Harbaugh is San Diego's head coach.

Harbaugh played 15 seasons in the league the Chicago Bears and San Diego Chargers among other teams. For his career, he completed 2,305 of 3,918 passes for 26,288 yards with 129 touchdowns.

Gresham also kicked a 35-yard field goal in the final minute of the first half to pull the Oaks within 21-13 at halftime.

Willamette (1-3) scored four touchdowns, three on runs by Steve Wilbon, in the third quarter and the Bearcats breezed the rest of the way.

Sophomore quarterback Dustin Guglielmelli threw for 225 yards on 20-of-36 passing. Senior receiver Eddie Eyo caught eight of those passes for 90 yards.

Jihad Mahasin scored on a 13-yard run and junior Antoine Barlow raced nine yards with a recovered fumble for Menlo. Barlow recorded 14 tackles, 11 solo.

The Bearcats, using 10 different runners, rushed for 417 yards.
Men's soccer

Menlo split two games over the weekend at Dominican College in San Rafael, with its 2-1 overtime victory over Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (of Prescott, AZ) on Saturday snapping a three-game losing streak.

The Oaks (4-3) lost to Concordia (Irvine), 7-3, on Friday.

Freshman forward Gary Hodgson scored an unassisted goal in the 105th minute to produce the win over the Eagles. Senior Mike Sharabi also scored for Menlo, converting after taking a throw-in from Todd Jones.

Menlo outshot Embry-Riddle, 20-9.

Aiden O'Flynn, Hodgson and Sharabi scored against Concordia.

Menlo hosts Dominican on Saturday at 4 p.m.
Women's soccer

Menlo had a successful couple of days in Redding last weekend, but then suffered a setback at home.

The Oaks (5-3-1) beat the Oregon Institute of Technology, 5-0, on Thursday and then defeated host Simpson, 3-1, on Friday before losing Saturday to Fresno Pacific, 2-1, in overtime.

Menlo hosts Dominican on Saturday at 2 p.m.

Rachel Anden scored four goals in the three matches, including two against Oregon Tech. Ryanne Bergstrom, Katie Renteria and Katie Pryde also scored against the Owls. Freshman goalkeeper Heather Klassen recorded four saves.

Molly Flanagan and Sheryl Cumine scored along with Anden in the win over the Red Hawks.

Gunn grad Ja'Net Lawrence assisted on Anden's goal against Fresno Pacific.
Women's volleyball

Menlo dropped a 26-30, 30-24, 23-30, 30-22, 15-7 decision to host UC Santa Cruz on Friday to end its six-match winning streak.

The Oaks (6-4) return to Cal Pac Conference action on Friday against the William Jessup University Warriors in Rocklin at 7 p.m.

Game two proved costly for the Oaks, who held a 16-5 lead at one point before the Banana Slugs rallied to toe the match at a game apiece.

Menlo also held an early lead in game four.

Freshman outside hitter Malia Pires had 23 kills while freshman outside hitter Abby Wik added 16. Junior setter Sara Bungarz recorded a career-high 43 assists and sophomore libero Christa Hewett had 32 digs.

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