Midfielder Julian Sam (right) goes high for a header during Prospect's 5-2 first-round win over Capuchino in the CCS soccer playoffs.




Photograph by Dai Sugano







Panthers win, lose at CCS

Saratoga girls help Mitty to 7-0 victory

By Dick Sparrer

What a difference a day makes.

Or, in the case of the Prospect boys soccer team, three days.

Because when the Central Coast Section soccer playoffs opened last Wednesday, the Prospect boys were celebrating a first-round victory... a big first-round victory.

But when it came time for the quarterfinals a few days later, the Panthers faced elimination.

The Panthers blasted Capuchino 5-2 in overtime to advance to the CCS Division II quarterfinals. But Prospect lost a 1-0 heartbreaker to St. Ignatius to drop out of the playoffs.

Still, the Panthers have no reason to hang their heads. Prospect came through with an outstanding effort in the 1999-2000 campaign, winning the championship in the Mount Hamilton Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League and posting a solid 15-6-1 season record.

Panthers split

Senior midfielder Francisco Martinez knocked in two goals and passed out three assists to lead the Panthers to the thrilling 5-2 win over Capuchino in the first round of the playoffs.

Prospect and Capuchino matched two goals in regulation, sending the game into overtime. The squads were scoreless through the first extra period, but the Panthers unloaded with an impressive three goals in the second overtime to claim the victory.

Raul Pastrana, Adam Cole and Juan Ruiz also scored goals for the Panthers in the win and Russell Ortiz and Julian Sam each added assists.

Talented senior goalkeeper Josh Hawthorne blanked Capuchino in the overtime periods to help the Panthers clinch the important first-round victory.

Hawthorne was nearly flawless again in the goal, but SI scored one goal and made that stand up for a 1-0 victory in the quarterfinals.

Prospect had post a 9-2-1 league record to win the Mount Hamilton Division championship.


Photograph by Dai Sugano

Prospect soccer players storm onto the field to celebrate a 5-2 win over Capuchino in the first round of the CCS playoffs. But the Panthers lost a 1-0 heartbreaker to St. Ignatius last weekend to drop out of the tournament.




Falcons fall

The Saratoga boys, meanwhile, lost 3-0 to Harbor in the first round of the CCS Division II playoffs.

The Falcons, co-champions in the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League with Santa Clara, finished the year with a 10-6-4 record overall and an 8-1-3 record in league play.

Monarchs are 'Dynamite'

The Mitty girls soccer team opened the CCS Division II playoffs with a rousing 7-0 win over San Lorenzo Valley, thanks in no small part to the play of three girls from Saratoga and five former members of the De Anza Dynamite select championship team.

Monika Sola, Charlene Killebrew and Stephanie Anderson, all of Saratoga, are members of the Mitty squad that will play in the CCS semifinals on Feb. 22, 2:30 p.m., against Harbor at West Valley Community College in Saratoga.

Sola, Kate Morgan, Heidi Spink, Lana Bowen and Mari Gomes are Mitty players who were members of the powerful De Anza Dynamite team for six years.

Mitty, 19-1-1 for the year, opened the playoffs with a lopsided win over SLV. Gabriella Olivares had two goals and an assist and Gomes knocked in two goals to lead the Monarchs to the victory.

Morgan had a goal and three assists, and Sola and Jacquelyn Bettencourt drilled goals. Heidi Spink added two assists for Mitty and Killebrew had one.

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