Hoop Dreams: Willow Glen's Edna Sison (30) battles for the basketball in action against San Jose. The Rams beat both San Jose and Lincoln last week.




Photograph by Paul Myers







Cohen's goal lifts Rams to victory

Willow Glen girls net two basketball wins

By Dick Sparrer

The match was dead even when Willow Glen's Dustin Cohen stepped to the line to deliver a penalty kick at the Leland goal.

A swift kick later, it was even no more.

Cohen's penalty kick ripped past the Leland goalkeeper, and that was all Willow Glen needed to secure a hard-fought 1-0 victory over the Chargers in the Mount Hamilton Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League.

The goal by Cohen figures as the only score managed by either of the two division rivals in two games this year. The club's battled to a scoreless tie earlier in the year.

"In every game against Leland in the five years I've been here, it's either been a 1-0 game or a tie," said Willow Glen coach Sue Parisi. And this is the first time in her tenure that the 1-0 decision has come out in favor of the Rams.

It couldn't have come at a better time for Willow Glen. The Rams had slipped to 1-4-1 in the division after three straight 1-0 losses, and Leland entered the game undefeated in league play.

"It was a nice win," said Parisi, whose squad is now 2-4-1 in the division and 6-6-3 for the year. "It was a very even game."

Even, that is, until the 62nd minute when Cohen pounded home the game-winning penalty kick.

"He played one of his better games," said Parisi of the senior center midfielder.

"But my whole team played extremely well," she added, indicating that because of illness and injury she had only two substitutes for the game. "I was really proud of 'em."

Junior sweeper Gilbert Lozoya and senior Osbie Gonzalez were other standouts for the Rams along with junior goalkeeper Salvador Palacio.

The loss left Leland 4-1-2 in the division and 15-2-2 for the year.

Willow Glen had opened the week with a tough 1-0 loss to Leigh. That defeat followed 1-0 losses to both Overfelt and Pioneer.

"We had our opportunities," said Parisi, but the Rams couldn't capitalize against the Longhorns.

The Rams will try to remain on the winning track this week when they host Prospect on Jan. 23 and visit Santa Teresa on Jan. 25 in a pair of 3:15 p.m. games.

Rams blank Eagles

Kelsey Giambruno and Nicole Faria each had a goal and an assist to lead the Willow Glen girls soccer team to a 3-0 win over Oak Grove last week. Aubrey Schatz scored off a Courtney Livak assist to round out the scoring for the Rams.

Rams win a pair

The Willow Glen girls basketball team nailed two West Valley Division wins last week, beating Lincoln 37-25 and San Jose 46-40. The Rams are now 2-4 in the division and 3-13 for the year.

Bianca Gomez fired in four three-pointers on her way to a 14-point night and Crystal Salazar pumped in 14 points to lead the Rams past the Bulldogs.

Edna Sison had a three among her seven points in the win. Cynthia Salinas added six points, Sequeena Holmes three and Beth Habte two.

Gomez buried nine points and Salazar tossed in eight to pace the Rams to the 12-point win over the Lions. Lisa Comstock finished with five points, Holmes and Habte had four apiece, Kiley McKown hit three and Salinas and Sison had two each. Both Comstock and Gomez popped three-pointers.

Doleshel leads Rams

Junior center Keith Doleshel jammed 20 points to lead the Willow Glen boys basketball team to a 58-50 win over San Jose last week.

Doleshel tossed in 12 points from the free-throw line on his way to a team-high 20 points.

Justin Johnson, Kaelan Yoppini and Will Howsman chipped in with eight points each in the WG victory.

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