Saratoga News

Photograph by George Sakkestad

Saratoga's Elliot Jones (10) and Prospect's Andrew Heling (20) battle for the ball in an early season game. The Falcons lost in league play last week while the Panthers lost and tied twice.

Copes, Yoshihara led Panthers to victory

By Dick Sparrer

No one has been able to stop the Prospect girls' soccer team this winter--not even Mother Nature. Because even though the heavens unloaded on the Santa Clara Valley last week, the Panthers were able to get in a soccer game--and record another victory in the Santa Teresa Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League.

The Panthers blanked Oak Grove 2-0 last week to improve to 7-0-4 in the division and to 12-2-4 for the year.

Junior midfielder Brianne Copes knocked home a goal in the first half, and junior Mariko Yoshihara scored off a Kristel Munch assist in the second half to give the Panthers the win.

In other action in the division, Westmont lost back-to-back games to fall to 3-6-3 in Santa Teresa play. The Warriors dropped a couple of 3-1 decisions, falling to Valley Christian and Lincoln.

Kelly Larrus scored a first-half goal to give the Warriors a 1-0 lead at intermission against Lincoln, but the Lions scored three unanswered goals in the second half to claim the win.

Laura Gurney's assist set up Laura Bagwell for a goal, but Westmont lost 3-1 to Valley Christian. It was 1-1 at the half, but Valley scored twice in the second half to nail the victory.

In the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League, Saratoga slipped to 4-5-2 in the division after suffering a 5-1 loss to Gunn.

Junior Meghan Miyamoto scored in the first half off a Jenni Cohen assist, but it wasn't enough for the Falcons, who dropped to 9-6-2 for the year with the loss.

Boys' Soccer

Prospect slipped to 4-3-4 in the Mt. Hamilton Division of the BVAL after a tough 2-1 loss to Piedmont Hills last week.

Earlier in the week, Prospect fought Leland to a 1-1 tie thanks to a first-half goal by Josh Anderson off a Francisco Martinez assist.

The Panthers also tied Santa Teresa 1-1 on a first-half goal by Martinez.

The week before, Tony Chang bombed three goals, and Anderson had a goal and an assist in Prospect's 4-1 win over Overfelt. Martinez supported with a couple of assists.

Saratoga, meanwhile, lost a 5-0 decision to Homestead to drop to 1-8-1 in the De Anza Division of the SCVAL. The Falcons had lost three tough one-goal decisions a week earlier, falling 3-2 to Milpitas, 1-0 to Monta Vista and 5-4 to Palo Alto.

Takeo Tomine buried three goals, and Ramon Patino had a goal and an assist in the loss to Paly. Elliott Jones and Naoyuki Honda had assists for the Falcons.

David Min Kim and Martin Rienow knocked in unassisted goals, but Saratoga lost a tough 3-2 nod to Milpitas.

The Falcons are 2-10-1 for the year.

Girls' Basketball

Allison Zisko poured in 16 points, and Robyn Katzman added 11 to lead Saratoga to a tight 45-42 win over Milpitas in a key clash in the El Camino Division of the SCVAL last week.

But the Falcons lost a 53-52 heartbreaker to Gunn later in the week to slip into a tie for first place in the division.

Saratoga's win over Milpitas kept the Trojans from grabbing a share of the division lead, but Saratoga fell back into a tie with Fremont for first when the Falcons lost by a point to Gunn.

The Falcons and Firebirds now share the division lead with matching 8-2 records.

Zisko bombed 22 points to lead all Saratoga scorers against Gunn. Nicole LaMore supported with 17 points, and Karin Bencala hit 10. Jenn Chan added two points, and Clancy Roberts had one.

The Falcons led by four points heading in the final period on Thursday night, but the Titans outscored 'Toga 13-8 in the fourth quarter to pull out the one-point win.

Zisko and Katzman had combined for 27 points in the win over Milpitas earlier in the week. Roberts chipped in with seven points, Chan had six and Bencala hit five.

The Falcons will hit the road this week to face Los Altos on Feb. 11, 7 p.m., before hosting Cupertino on Feb. 13, 7:30 p.m.

Westmont, meanwhile, improved to 5-2 in the Mt. Hamilton Division of the BVAL with a 66-28 win over Santa Teresa.

Melissa Newberg buried 19 points, and Sheryl Mahaffey canned 16 to pace the Warriors to the victory. Newberg hit a couple of three-pointers, and Mahaffey buried four.

Zuleeka Mohamed joined the two in double digits with 10 points. Alyssa Parsons added six; Jennifer Casselberry, four; Lauren Costanzo, three; and Sabine Bosklopper, Emillia Ortiz, Melissa Taylor and Jennifer Payne, two each.

The Warriors will be on the road this week, visiting Leland on Feb. 11 and Presentation on Feb. 13 in a pair of 7 p.m. games.

Boys' Basketball

Mike Black scored 29 points in two games, but Saratoga lost a pair of El Camino Division decisions last week.

The Falcons, who will visit Homestead on Feb. 10 and host Cupertino on Feb. 12 in a couple of 7 p.m. games, lost 42-30 to Mountain View and 56-50 to Gunn last week.

Black tossed in 16 points in the loss to the Spartans. Micah Weger added eight points, and Luke Weger had six.

L. Weger came back with 14 points, and Black had 13 in the loss to the Titans. M. Weger added nine points; Corey Schwaderer, six; Oliver L'abbe, four; and Geoff Lamotte and Matt McKenna, two each.

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