 |
|
|
|
|
Pioneers win CCS soccer title
By DICK SPARRER
Jennifer Leier isn't known much as a scorer for the Cupertino girls soccer team.
In fact, other than a couple of assists, the sophomore hadn't figured in the scoring much at all for the Pioneers this winter.
Until last Saturday, that is.
Leier knocked in a free kick in the second half to break up a scoreless tie and lift the Pioneers to a thrilling 1-0 victory over Capuchino of San Bruno in the Central Coast Section Division III championship game.
Leier has been a defensive star all season as a sweeper for the Pioneers, leaving the offensive heroics to such teammates as Kerry Blaschke, Luisa Meza, Jessie Frink and Kristen Haferd.
Leier teamed with sophomore stopper Katey Slivinske, outside backs Catherine Whyte and Kathy Lefstad and sophomore goalkeeper Jennifer Higgins to shut out Capuchino in the section title game over the weekend. And it was Leier taking on the unlikely role of goal-scorer that lifted Cupertino to the win.
The scoring is usually left in the capable hands of Blaschke, a senior forward who knocked in more than 20 goals for the Pioneers this season.
Or it's been left to top scorers Frink and Haferd, who have combined for more than 15 goals for Cupertino.
It was Frink and Blaschke who teamed up for a goal earlier in the week to help the Pioneers to a semifinal win over Harbor.
Frink scored off a Blaschke assist to help the Pioneers fight Harbor to a 1-1 tie in regulation. Then Cupertino won the tiebreaker 5-3 on penalty kicks to clinch the win and advance to the finals.
Cupertino, 14-3-5 for the year, outscored its opponents more than 2-1 this season, pounding in over 40 goals in the 22 games while allowing less than 20.
Blaschke, Frink and Haferd were the leading goal scorers for 'Tino, and Blaschke, Frink and Meza were the team leaders in assists. Dana Williams, Lauren Kettner and Susan Puccinelli also figured in the scoring for Cupertino with either goals or assists.
Seniors Blaschke, Meza and Williams all celebrated their final season at Cupertino with the CCS title. Frink, a freshman, and sophomores Slivinske, Lefstad, Higgins, Leier and Puccinelli will team with juniors Whyte, Kettner, Annalisa Ammon and Yelena Nisenbaum as top returners for the Pioneers next winter.
Mustangs fall
Tiffany Colen knocked in a second-half goal, but the Homestead girls lost 3-1 to Gunn in the CCS Division I soccer semifinals.
The Mustangs had earned their place in the semis with a convincing 7-0 win over King City in the first round of the playoffs. But Homestead could manage just one goal in the battle with the Titans.
Gunn opened up a 2-0 first-half lead, then matched Homestead's second-half goal on the road to the 3-1 win. The Titans went on to lose 2-0 to St. Francis in the CCS Division I title game.
Homestead managed to avoid shutout in the CCS clash when Colen scored off an assist from Tatiana Gusmao in the second half.
Colen and Gusmao were the leading scorers for the Mustangs in the recently completed season.
Lisa Massey and Laura Phan were other top scorers for Homestead, and Ann Dragich, Katrien Brak, Sujata Ganpula, Christina Ignacio, Kate Morgan, Kelly Wilcox and Kelly Winnovich all figured in the scoring for the Mustangs in the 1998-99 campaign with either goals or assists.
Homestead wrapped up an impressive '98-99 season with a solid 15-2-4 record.
|
|
|
|
Cupertino, California Since 1947
