The score was even at 1-1 late in the contest and the entire San
Benito High girls soccer team was well aware that a tie at this
point in the season wasn’t going to help their playoff hopes at
all.
The score was even at 1-1 late in the contest and the entire San Benito High girls soccer team was well aware that a tie at this point in the season wasn’t going to help their playoff hopes at all.
“Rose, five minutes left.” Said Baler head coach Mike Schurig to his star forward Jennifer-Rose Vandenberg.
The league’s leading goal scorer responded with a confident “Get me the ball.”
A few minutes later, Vandenberg’s request was answered when Michele Sanchez got ahold of the ball and sent it upfield to Felicia Freitas. Freitas, who was exactly where she needed to be on the play, took the pass from Sanchez, turned upfield and placed the ball perfectly at the feet of the sprinting Vandenberg who, by virtue of the great pass from Freitas, found herself one-on-one with the Salinas keeper.
The Baler forward doesn’t miss very often in this situation and she wasn’t about to miss with a clear path to the net and her team’s playoff hopes likely riding on this one shot.
Vandenberg beat the charging keeper with a shot to the left side of the goal to break the tie, her second of the game and number 27 on the season.
And while Vandenberg continues to shine with her incredible talent on the offensive side of the field, it was the Hollister defense that made her last-minute heroics possible on Wednesday.
Goalkeeper Mary Von Urff had a great day in the net for Hollister as she again and again stopped the Salinas offense. The Cowboys’ lone goal came from a penalty kick following a questionable call in the box.
Kitra Brigatino and Julie Broyer both did a great job of denying Salinas any quality shot opportunities early in the game before both were injured midway through the game.
But both Baler defenders returned later with the game on the line after Salinas cashed in on the penalty kick. And, along with the likes of Brittany Schurig, Kitra Brigatino and Brittany Huth, kept the Cowboys scrambling to find a decent shot on goal.
“I’m so proud of the ladies and the way they were able to keep the pressure on with the score tied,” said Hollister head coach Mike Schurig. “It was a great effort.”
