Saratoga News

Sports

Late goals cost Saratoga girls soccer win

By Kevin Sparrer

It isn't how you start a game, but how you finish it that determines the outcome, and unfortunately for the Saratoga girls soccer team that fact was learned the hard way against Milpitas last week.

Saratoga had a win stolen from its grasp after leading 3-1 against Milpitas on Jan. 23 with the game finishing in a 3-3 tie.

Rachel Sabes began the scoring for the Falcons on a perfectly placed, powerful kick from 40 yards away that evaded the Milpitas keeper, and the Falcons were on the board.

Just into the second half, Annaliese Parker sent the ball up to the box where Kelly Darchuk was waiting and sent a light kick into the net for the second goal.

The Falcons then spread the defense out wide and Kelly Marsh sent the ball to Darchuk who was again up to the task and scored for the third goal of the game for Saratoga.

Though Saratoga did not lose the game, it was a tough one not to win, especially when Milpitas' first goal came on questionable silence from the referee when the Milpitas forward slammed into the Saratoga goalkeeper, Jan Iyer, knocking her to the ground and freeing up the net for the rest of the Milpitas team.

The tie brings the Falcons to 4-1-3 in the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League and to 6-3-5 overall.

Saratoga heads to Cupertino on Jan. 30 for a 3:30 p.m. start against the 4-0-4 Pioneers. The last time the Falcons faced the Pioneers, the game ended in a 1-1 tie.

Boys fall to Trojans

While the girls were not lucky with a tie, Saratoga's boys team had even less luck against Milpitas, falling to the Trojans 2-1.

Kristopher Clark scored the only goal for the Falcons without an assist.