The Cupertino Courier
Sports
Soccer teams clinch spots in CCS playoffs
By Mike Barnhart
The Monta Vista girls soccer team lost its bid to repeat as Santa Clara Valley Athletic League De Anza Division champion last week, but it secured a return trip to the Central Coast Section championship tournament, which begins Feb. 13.
Los Altos claimed the division crown with wins over Monta Vista and Mountain View, while the Matadors clinched a CCS playoff spot by sandwiching a pair of victories around its 2-1 loss to the Eagles on Jan. 31. The Eagles finished their division schedule with a 9-0-3 record and 30 points, one more than the Matadors can total by sweeping two games with Palo Alto this week.
By blanking Homestead 2-0 and Saratoga 4-1, Monta Vista improved its De Anza record to 7-1-2 and 23 points and earned one of the De Anza's three automatic entries into the CCS playoffs. Monta Vista needs one win or two ties against Palo Alto (6-2-2, 20) to hang on to second place. Paly also reserved its playoff spot, by tying Homestead (4-3-4, 16) and beating Los Gatos.
Homestead will finish fourth, no matter the outcome of its division finale with Los Gatos on Feb. 7, but a victory would raise its overall record to 9-4-5 and improve its chance of receiving an at-large bid into the CCS tourney. In all, 36 girls teams will compete in three 12-team divisions and 32 boys teams will be divided into two divisions. The brackets will be determined on Feb. 10.
"I would think that the fourth-place team would get in as well," said Monta Vista coach Alan Kute. "Our division has been very strong this year, and although some of the records are not great, the games have been tough."
Speaking of tough games, Monta Vista's recent showdown with Los Altos was a prime example of two very good teams fighting it out. The Matadors' stingy defense was up against the Eagles' ball-control offense.
Los Altos scored in the first minute on a good shot from outside the box, but the Matadors tied it midway through the first half. Freshman Cheryl Kute scored from the left side, after taking a nice pass from older sister Jenny Kute. The Eagles' decisive score came 15 minutes into the second half on a header.
"We had strong play from Shandon Rovetta, Jessica Lau, Alex Gatley, Cheryl Kute and Jennifer Nguyen," coach Kute praised.
J. Kute led the way two days later against Saratoga with two goals and an assist. Senior Emily Rubin and junior Sarah Trankle also knocked in goals for the Mats, while Rovetta and Michelle Pao added assists.
C. Kute and Trankle scored second half goals in the 2-0 win over Homestead. Rubin and J. Kute had assists.
In the El Camino Division, Lynbrook and Cupertino entered the final week tied for fourth with 14 points, behind champion Gunn (9-1-1), Santa Clara and Milpitas. While Lynbrook (3-4-5) finished strong with a 1-1 tie against Gunn and a 3-1 decision over Wilcox, the Pioneers were 3-3-5 with one game to go.
Cupertino sophomores Christine Adame and Cici Kobinski both tallied goals during a 3-0 triumph over Fremont (3-6-2, 11). The final score came when a Fremont player inadvertently put the ball into her own goal.
Boys soccer
Lynbrook's boys team finished its El Camino Division schedule in first place with 18 points, after a 4-3 win over Wilcox boosted its record to 5-4-3. However, either Milpitas (4-2-5, 17) or Fremont (4-3-4, 16) can claim the division title and the El Camino's only automatic playoff berth, Feb. 7, when the two teams collide on the Trojans' field.
Junior Jairo Magana's goal gave Fremont a 1-0 win over Cupertino on Feb. 2.
Earlier in the week, Cupertino (4-7, 12) lost 2-1 to Milpitas. Senior Matt Gomez scored a goal, after taking a pass from junior Thorin Duffin.
Should the game end in a tie, Milpitas and Lynbrook would both finish with 18 points, but the Vikings would advance due to their win and tie over Milpitas. The Vikes could have prevented the suspense with a win over Monta Vista on Jan. 31, but they lost 1-0. Scott Laumann's pass set up Om Marwah for the game's only goal.
SCVAL wrestling finals
Although both De Anza and El Camino Division wrestling teams will conclude the dual meet season on Feb. 8, they all are looking forward to the SCVAL championship meet two days later at Santa Clara High.
Two teams unlikely to be looking ahead are Fremont and Los Gatos. Both 5-0 in De Anza action, they will collide for the division title in the Firebirds' gym at 6:30 p.m.
The SCVAL's top seven finishers in each weight class will advance to the CCS tournament, set for Feb. 23-24 at Independence and Overfelt in San Jose.
