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Panthers in CCS semifinals
Presentation blanks Mercy 3-0 in opener
By Dick Sparrer
Tom Sepulveda wants to go to a championship soccer game this weekend. But the first-year Presentation girls soccer coach doesn't want to go as a spectator. He's hoping that he and his Panthers will go to Saturday's CCS Division III championship game as competitors.
Presentation took the first step towards that title game with a 3-0 win over Mercy of Burlingame in the first round of the Central Coast Section playoffs last weekend.
The Panthers now face Santa Cruz in the semifinals on Feb. 20, 7 p.m., at Wilcox High School with the winner advancing to the CCS Division III finals on Feb. 24, 10 a.m., at San Jose PAL Stadium.
But the road to get there is not an easy one. The Panthers, 13-5-5 for the year, must beat Santa Cruz (11-6-4) on Tuesday. The Cardinals are coming off an impressive 4-0 upset win over the tournament's No. 1 seed, Santa Catalina.
The Tuesday winner will advance to the CCS finals on Saturday morning against the winner of the Cupertino-Redwood Christian semifinal game.
The same day, the Panthers were blanking Mercy 3-0. Senior midfielder Allie Berthold led Presentation to the big win with a goal and an assist.
Rachel Field gave the Panthers the early lead in the game. The senior midfielder scored off an assist from freshman striker Nicki Nigos.
Presentation clung to a tight 1-0 lead at the half thanks to the first-half goal by Field, but the Panthers broke the game open with a pair of goals in the second half, and Berthold had a hand in each of them.
Berthold's assist set up junior midfielder Morgan Brown for a goal to make the score 2-0, then Berthold scored off an assist from senior midfielder Kelly Sweitzer.
Marking back Julie Alves, goalkeeper Marie Gutto and striker Jaime Moore are senior co-captains who will try to lead the Panthers past Santa Cruz this week and into the CCS championship game. Rounding out the list of seniors on the experienced Presentation team are midfielders Megan Chimenti, Kim Medica and Cindee Yandow, and marking backs Selena Ching, Sarah Hunt and Jenna Martarano.
Brown is one of just two juniors on the Presentation squad. The other is striker Jennifer Tuttle.
Freshmen Nigos, Amanda Brandt and Andrea Lee and sophomores Aubrey Ellzey, Sara Hines, Jessica Mason, Caitlin Matalone and Gina Yarber round out the squad.
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Willow Glen, California Since 1992
