Scotts Valley managed to capitalize on a penalty in the waning
minutes of Tuesday’s game against San Benito, and stole a 2-1 win
in non-league play from the host Lady ‘Balers.
Hollister
Scotts Valley managed to capitalize on a penalty in the waning minutes of Tuesday’s game against San Benito, and stole a 2-1 win in non-league play from the host Lady ‘Balers.
The loss is only the second of the year for San Benito (3-2), while it was the second preseason game in a row against a Central Coast Section qualifier.
San Benito defeated CCS qualifier Santa Catalina 3-2 last Friday, but were shorthanded on Tuesday as leading scorer Sophie Coelho and Samantha Moreno were both sidelined for the game.
Nonetheless, San Benito nearly played the visiting Falcons to a tie before Scotts Valley pushed ahead for the 2-1 win.
Scotts Valley went ahead in the 78th minute on a penalty kick after San Benito was called for a push inside the box with only two minutes left in the contest.
And Falcon Negine Mansour managed to push one into the right corner on the ensuing free kick, giving Scotts Valley the go-ahead goal.
San Benito coach Mike Schurig called the penalty inadvertent.
“I really didn’t think it deserved a penalty kick,” Schurig said after the game. “But that happens.”
The score could have been a lot higher, though, as Scotts Valley had 22 shots in the contest. But San Benito’s back line, led by Rachel Maheu, Celina De La Cruz and keeper Emily Key, kept the Lady ‘Balers within striking distance for the entire game.
Scotts Valley was on the board first, however, as Tylinda Arthur sent a cross from the right side to a leaping Abby Imboden who headed it into the net in the 32nd minute.
San Benito had difficulty breaking through the Falcons’ full-backs, but did mount an offensive late in the first half, relying upon the long ball pass.
The long pass would loft over Falcon full-backs and result in an all-out sprint for San Benito’s forwards. Although the strategy kept the ball in Scotts Valley’s end for the closing minutes of the first half, it didn’t yield any shots on net.
In fact, San Benito only had one shot on net in the first half and five shots on net for the game.
“We were definitely weak offensively in the first half, but we did a good job of keeping it close,” Schurig said.
It was much of the same in the second half, but San Benito’s attack, which struggled to break Scotts Valley’s back line in the first, broke through when Rachael Jett found a sprinting Hannah Cobb.
Cobb, with a Falcon defender smothering her, kicked a bullet into the right corner in the 75th minute to tie the game 1-1.
Unfortunately, Scotts Valley scored just three minutes later after the questionable penalty call.
San Benito will look to rebound on Thursday when they’ll play at Soquel for a 6 p.m. match.
