Daniela Ocampo, Hannah Cobb each score goal, pocket assist in
2-1 win over Alisal
HOLLISTER
Daniela Ocampo’s through ball actually fell short of its intended target, but it was beneficial for the San Benito Lady ‘Balers, nonetheless.
“It still worked out,” Ocampo said.
Ocampo’s short wall pass to a well defended Hannah Cobb near the 18-yard line forced Cobb to come back and retrieve the ball, but also created plenty of space between herself and three Alisal defenders.
Without any room to go forward, Cobb turned right instead and ran parallel to the goal before punching in what eventually turned out to be the game winner in a 2-1 contest over the visiting Trojans on Friday.
“I had to come back and I thought I wasn’t going to make it because they jumped in front of me a little bit,” Cobb said. If the pass wasn’t short, “it would have gone right to the other team, I think.”
The victory snaps the back-to-back losses San Benito suffered recently when they lost to Gilroy 3-0 last week and Notre Dame 1-0 on Monday.
“This was big because now we can still beat the next teams coming up and it will give us a boost,” Ocampo said.
Those two recent losses pushed the Lady ‘Balers back from second place to fourth place in the Tri-County Athletic League, where Notre Dame (4-1-3), Salinas (4-3-1) and San Benito (4-2-2) are all eyeing a spot behind first-place Gilroy.
Salinas visited North Salinas on Friday, although results were not reported at publication.
“I decided to go defensive and have the outside mids make outside runs,” said San Benito head coach Ben Alvarez, who was without the services of JC Clayton (ankle) and played a 4-4-2 formation as a result.
“There was a time there for a few minutes where we mirrored exactly what they were doing, too much kick ball,” Alvarez added. “And that almost got us into trouble.”
As a result, the Trojans controlled the middle of the field at times during the first half, and put six shots on net. They had 12 total shots on net in the game.
But San Benito staved off each of Alisal’s attempts early, and went up 1-nil just six minutes into regulation when Cobb delivered a cross pass to Ocampo, who trapped it before depositing into the back of the net.
In the 34th minute, Ocampo returned the favor by setting up Cobb on the short wall pass, giving the Lady ‘Balers a 2-0 halftime lead.
“Pretty much from then on it was all us,” said Alvarez, as the Lady ‘Balers controlled the game in the second half.
Alisal got on the scoreboard in the 76th minute when Norayma Mata capitalized on a misplayed ball by San Benito’s defense, but the offensive push was too late to score a win for the Trojans.
San Benito (12-3-3 overall) will visit North Salinas on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.
TEAM 1 2 F
ALIS 0 1 1
SANB 2 0 2
SAN BENITO HIGH BOYS SOCCER
The San Benito High boys soccer team lost 1-0 at Alisal on Thursday.
Trojan Benjamin Nunez scored the game’s only goal late in the second half.
The Haybalers are now 1-6-1 in the Tri-County Athletic League, 4-10-1 overall.
San Benito will host North Salinas on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.
TEAM 1 2 F
SANB 0 0 0
ALIS 0 1 1
