The Willow Glen Resident Photograph by Skye Dunlap On The Run: Willow Glen's Kellie Arnone (4) works against Megan Chimenti of Presentation in a girls soccer game earlier this season. Both clubs have since started league play, and are idle during winter break. Panthers ready to repeat? Division soccer race will be 'closer one' By Dick Sparrer Stephanie Neustadter and Adrianne Rizzo helped the Presentation girls soccer team win league and Central Coast Section championships a year ago. They both return for the Panthers this season. So what does veteran head coach Mani Hernandez have in mind this winter? More of the same. The Panthers were 12-0 in the Mt. Hamilton Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League a year ago, and they posted an 18-1 season record on their way to the CCS crown. This year, Hernandez expects his club to finish again near the top. "This season will be a closer one than last year," admitted Hernandez. "Mitty, Leigh and Presentation will have to show consistency in order to win the league." The Panthers have been pretty consistent so far. Presentation is off to a 2-0 start in the division and boasts a 6-2 record for the year. Sophomore Jamie Moore knocked in two goals, and Erica Timiraos added a goal and an assist to lead the Panthers to a 3-1 win over Santa Teresa to open the league season. Kelly Sweitzer and Kristen Gordon also had assists for the winners. Moore, Neustadter, Alison Bertholi and Julie Stamps each scored goals for the Panthers in a 4-2 win over Leland later in the week. Rizzo had an assist for Presentation. Presentation dropped a 2-1 nonleague decision to Homestead to open the week. Gordon scored off a Neustadter assist for the only goals for the Panthers in the loss. Presentation's only other loss this season was a 2-1 defeat against powerhouse St. Francis. Goals by Neustadter, Timiraos, Bertholi, Jennifer Javernick, Sweitzer and Moore gave the Panthers a 6-1 win over Santa Clara to open the year. Beth Gutto had two goals, and Gordon and Stamps had a goal apiece in a 4-2 win over San Lorenzo Valley. Timiraos and Gordon each added assists for the Panthers. WG girls split The Willow Glen girls soccer team split a pair of games last week, beating Pioneer 3-0 before falling to Valley Christian 1-0. The split left the Rams 1-1 in the Santa Teresa Division of the BVAL and 3-3-1 for the year. Kellie Arnone knocked in a first-half goal off an Amy Johnson assist to give the Rams a 1-0 lead against the Mustangs early in the week. Kristen Rovai scored off an Arnone assist to make it 2-0 before intermission, and Colleen Wozny scored off an Arnone assist in the second half to give Willow Glen the 3-0 victory. Boys win opener The season started out right for the Willow Glen boys soccer team. The Rams opened the year with a 4-0 shutout win over Westmont. And they've been trying to recapture that magic ever since. "We just need to score goals to be competitive to win," said Willow Glen coach Sue Parisi. "So far, this has been an obstacle in our preseason, due to our size." "We have a strong team that plays a good passing game," added the coach. "But we're a young team and on the small side as far as size." The Rams started with the 4-0 win over the Warriors, but since then have lost 2-1 to Leland, 3-1 to Lincoln, 5-1 to Menlo-Atherton, 4-0 to Santa Teresa, 1-0 to Cupertino, 6-2 to James Lick and 4-2 to Lincoln. Sophomore Juan Salas knocked in two goals, and Jose Diaz and Joel Del Toro added one apiece to lead the Rams to the lopsided win over Westmont to open the year. Sophomore Jorge Villafuerte dished off a pair of assists, and Diaz had one. Freshman goalkeeper Michael Lawrence came through with three saves to help preserve the Willow Glen shutout. The Rams came back a game later with an outstanding effort against a powerful Leland team. Willow Glen lost the game, but only by a 2-1 margin to the Chargers. "It was a great game," said Parisi. "We were 5th in the B division last year, and held an A division team until the last three minutes of the game." The clubs were locked in a 1-1 tie at the half, thanks to a first-half goal by Villafuerte off a Salas assist. The Rams then lost to Lincoln 3-1 and to Menlo-Atherton 5-1 in the first round of the Homestead Christmas Cup tournament. The Rams were blanked 4-0 by Santa Teresa and 1-0 by Cupertino in a pair of nonleague games Freshman Saul Villatoro and junior Rudy Ochoa each scored goals, but Willow Glen lost 6-2 to Lick in the Homestead tourney. The Rams opened play in the Santa Teresa Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League, and lost a tough 4-2 to Lincoln. Juan Rivera scored a goal off a Del Toro assist, and Tavis Heinzelman scored off a Rivera assist. Willow Glen will now break for winter vacation before returning to league play at Del Mar on Jan. 5, 3:15 p.m. [ Back to Contents Page | Willow Glen Resident Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Willow Glen Resident, December 23, 1998. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.