The Willow Glen Resident

Panthers, Rams can't beat El Niño in soccer playoffs

By Dick Sparrer

The soccer teams were ready to play, but Mother Nature wasn't cooperating last weekend.

She let her "El Niño" out to play on Saturday, so the girls' and boys' soccer teams that had qualified for the Central Coast Section playoffs couldn't.

The Presentation and Willow Glen girls' soccer teams were each scheduled to open CCS play on Saturday, but both games were washed away by the heavy El Niño storm.

Presentation, 15-1 for the year, is slated to face the Lincoln (14-3-4)-Aragon (9-2-4) first-round winner in the CCS Division II quarterfinals, and Willow Glen, 14-6, is set to meet Gunn, 12-4-3, in the quarters.

Presentation won the championship in the Mt. Hamilton Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League this winter.

The Panthers are led by a cast of sensational players that includes Aly Wagner, Danielle Slaton, Shaelyn Fernandes and the Boling sisters, Krista and Breana. Wagner, Slaton and K. Boling were honored last week with their selection to the prestigious Parade Magazine All-American team.

Willow Glen earned its CCS berth by sharing the title in the West Valley Division of the BVAL with Mt. Pleasant.

It's been nothing short of a Cinderella season for the Rams. Willow Glen was winless in 14 games a year ago in Michael Herauf's first year as the school's head coach. A year later, though, the Rams rolled through the division to a 13-1 record, a co-championship and a CCS berth.

"What a turnaround!" Herauf said.

Freshman Colleen Wozny will lead the Rams into the playoffs. Wozny knocked in 30 goals and dished off 14 assists in league play for Willow Glen.

Junior forward Melissa Ybarra supported with 13 goals and eight assists, and Kristen Rovai, Lindsey Rovai, Kellie Arnone, Amy Johnson and Kristina Gerard are other offensive stars for Willow Glen.

Senior sweeper Meghan Compton leads a Willow Glen defense that allowed less than a goal a game in league play. Junior goalkeeper Amber Molina posted nine shutouts in 14 league games, and junior fullback Carley Lawrence is another defensive standout.

Saturday's games will be rescheduled for this week, but not before Tuesday, according to a CCS spokesperson who added that schools were to be notified 24 hours before their rescheduled games.

Times, dates and sites of rescheduled games were not available at presstime. Dates may also change for previously scheduled semifinal and championship games.

For the latest information on the CCS play-offs, contact the CCS Web site.

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