If it hadn’t before, the Hollister High girls soccer team proved
Saturday that it has some skillful players besides franchise
players Jennifer Vandenberg and Jenny Maheu.
If it hadn’t before, the Hollister High girls soccer team proved Saturday that it has some skillful players besides franchise players Jennifer Vandenberg and Jenny Maheu as the Balers put together a tremendous team effort for a power-packed 3-1 triumph over Notre Dame at Andy Hardin Field. The high-magnitude victory was even more impressive considering the Spirits (8-5, 3-2 Tri-County Athletic League) had worked their way up to No. 8 in the Central Coast Section rankings.
The unranked Balers (11-3-2, 4-0-1) can hoist themselves into the CCS fray and possibly a decent seed in the CCS Division I playoffs with a victory vs. Live Oak (6-6-2, 4-0-1) Tuesday at Andy Hardin Field at 5:30 p.m.
Most importantly, a win on Tuesday would also give the Balers the inside track for the league crown. Digging further, the top two teams in the league automatically qualify for the postseason – a virtual stranger to the Balers who have only one CCS appearance, a 4-0 defeat to Leland in 1995.
If the Balers play the Acorns the way they did for most of Saturday’s match, they should be in good shape – literally.
“Our conditioning was a factor today,” said Baler head coach Michael Schurig, who chalked up his most important win in his two years in charge of the Baler program. “Notre Dame got tired late in the match.”
The Spirits had to have burned a great deal of energy playing from behind and chasing down the Baler outside midfielders, Michelle Sanchez and Julie Broyer. Sanchez and Broyer kept breaking down the Spirits’ defense on the outside with skillful breaks. Much of Sanchez’ work was done in the first several minutes of the match. She capped off her stellar morning with a left-footed shot past Spirits keeper Jazmine Ohmann in the 48th minute to put the Balers up to stay 2-1.
“I’m usually nervous in matches like these,” said Sanchez. “It was the best match I’ve ever played.”
The Balers took it to the Spirits in the first 40 minutes, outshooting them 10-1 as Ohmann notched six of her 10 saves to keep it close.
“We came out sluggish,” said Spirits coach Niel Smit. “And you can’t do that against a good team like Hollister. I was disappointed with our play in the midfield. It was Hollister’s day. They were coached well and well-prepared for us. It was, however, one of our poorest games of the year.”
The Balers drew first blood in the 12th minute when Vandenberg delivered a ball to Maheu, who went to the left side of goal. The ball bounced off the left post and in.
The one-goal lead stood for 41 minutes. That’s when the Spirits’ Michelle Dupree lobbed one towards the Hollister goal. Baler goalie Chanin-Rae Maka hesitated for a split second as the ball bounced in front of her and over her head and the Spirits had knotted the game 1-1 with plenty of time left.
Not long after Sanchez’ goal, which came off a Vandenberg corner kick, Schurig replaced Maka with Mary VonUrff.
“I wanted someone in there who was fresh mentally more than anything,” said Schurig. “I think Chanin was still thinking about the goal that went over her head.”
As the Spirits pushed up defensively, the pressure of the one-goal lead began to mount on the Balers, who made two critical handball errors that almost cost them the match.
The first set up a direct kick by Dupree from 22 yards out. The shot cleared the Balers’ wall and was caught by VonUrff, who jumped and made a clean snag. The second handball was inside the box and set up the Spirits with a penalty kick.
Melissa Smit’s shot went high over goal and the Balers had escaped.
“That was the first PK she’s missed in her career,” said Niel Smit of his daughter. “We didn’t lose the game with that. You can’t lay it all on that.”
Vandenberg, who was brilliant the entire match, broke free two minutes into injury time for an insurance goal as she right-footed it on the run past Ohmann.
“As much as this was painful, we’ll play them again,” said the Spirits’ Sarah Simms. “We had an off day. We know how it feels.”
“We came out strong today,” said Maheu. “We can’t let down against Live Oak.”
Baler bits: An admission charge was supposed to be levied, but no one could acquire the cash box, which was locked inside the athletic office. Fans in attendance got their money’s worth and then some. – The Balers outshot the Spirits 19-9. – Hollister is at Notre Dame Feb. 12 in a match that could decide the T-CAL title.
