Sports
Menlo school girls are closing in on a second WBAL soccer title
ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
by Keith Peters
“This ‘honeymoon’ season is Amos-Grosser added solo tallies. f’s not a matter of ‘if’ for the turning out to be sweeter than the Leah Hess assisted on Olsen’s goal. Menlo School girls’ soccer ‘wedding’ season of last year!” said Pinewood remains tied for the diteam. Rather, it’s simply when. Menlo coach Donoson FitzGerald. vision lead with Mercy-Burlingame. The West Bay Athletic League title “But, we still have lots of work to Those teams meet next Tuesday will go to the Knights for a second do and this group of amazing girls at Skyline College with the winstraight year. will get it done!” ner playing the Foothill Division’s Menlo opened up an eight-point Menlo ran its unbeaten streak to third-place team in a playoff for the lead over second-place Sacred Heart 10 by holding off Crystal Springs. league’s final Central Coast Section Prep following a 1-0 victory over The lone goal was scored in the 34th berth. visiting Crystal Springs on Tues- minute of the first half by senior In the PAL Bay Division, visitday. Priya Medberry on an nicely ex- ing Menlo-Atherton got goals from The division-leading Knights ecuted eight-yard volley. The play Brittany Scheuch and Marilena improved to 7-0 in league (9-2-4 began with a cross from sophomore McCarty during a 2-2 deadlock overall) while Sacred Heart Prep Amber Mallett that was directed on with Burlingame. Elizabeth Cruz and Priory each had to to Medberry by and Julia Stoner added assettle for ties. Menlo took junior Kate Dusists for the Bears (4-3-1, 21 points into Thursday’s manian. 6-5-3), who tallied both match at Notre Dame-San While Menlo goals in the second half to Jose while second-place outshot Crysovercome a 1-0 deficit. SHP is well back with 13. tal, 15-0, and Menlo-Atherton reMenlo, which won its controlled the mains in fourth place with 17th straight division ball much of 13 points, still trailing match against Crystal the match scorWoodside (7-0-1), CarSprings, can clinch its ing goals was a lmont (6-1-1) and Burlsecond straight division struggle. Menlo ingame (5-2-1). title by winning its next Amanda McFarland was led by se- Taylor Ruegg Palo Alto tuned up for two matches, giving the nior defender its run at a SCVAL El Knights 27 points. With four match- Hannah Rubin, senior Rachel Pin- Camino Division title with a 1-0 es left, the best SHP can finish is sker, junior Amanda McFarland, nonleague win over host Gunn on with 25 points while the best Priory and sophomore Lizzie Lacy. Wednesday night. or King’s Academy can finish is In Palo Alto, Castilleja played the Paly junior Megan Tall ended the with 23 points. role of spoiler by deadlocking Sa- scoreless battle with about 20 minDepending on what happened cred Heart Prep, 2-2. SHP slipped utes gone in the second half, taking against Notre Dame-SJ, Menlo like- further in the WBAL race at 3-1-4 a pass from Sunny Lyu before shakly can clinch on Tuesday at home by (7-2-5 overall). Taylor Ruegg and ing a Gunn defender and the Titans’ beating King’s Academy. Brianna Carcione scored goals five goalie to score. Priory, meanwhile, visited Sacred minutes apart in the first half for Palo Alto improved to 9-4-2 while Heart Prep on Thursday in a must- SHP with Brigid White and Riley Gunn dropped to 2-9-3. win match for both teams. Only the Shanahan providing assists. Gunn had an opportunity to take top two finishers earn automatic In Portola Valley, host Priory the lead when Ming Ming Liu made berths into the Central Coast Sec- (2-2-4, 3-4-6) also fell further be- a steal and passed it into the box, tion playoffs. The third-place finish- hind in the WBAL race following where Camille Shrager’s shot was er will have to face a playoff game a 2-2 deadlock with visiting King’s saved by Paly keeper Catherine against the Skyline Division winner Academy. Angell-Atchison. Paly’s Katherine for the league’s third section berth. In the WBAL Skyline Division, Maniscalco later ran down a Gunn That’s what Menlo faced three host Pinewood posted a 6-0 victory player to break up a one on one. straight seasons prior to last year, over visiting Harker on Tuesday to The Vikings will put their 7-0-1 when the Knights finally broke improve to 7-0-1 in league (8-3-2 division mark on the line Friday at through with their first league overall). Olivia Biggs had a hat trick Fremont. Paly might be able to lock crown since 1991. By doing that, for the Panthers with assists from up the El Camino Division crown on Menlo shed its bridesmaid role and Gretchen Olsen and Amrita Mecker. Wednesday at home against Wilcox finally became a bride. Olsen, Nicole Colonna and Gabby (3:30 p.m.).
I
Al Chang
Palo Alto junior Megan Tall (right) manuevers around Gunn’s goalie to score the only goal during the Vikings’ nonleague triumph on Wednesday night. Paly continues to lead the SCVAL El Camino Division.
Sienna Stritter
Jack Heneghan
Menlo School
Menlo School
The junior soccer forward scored the game-winning goals in a 3-1 win over Sacred Heart Prep and a 1-0 win over Priory to keep the Knights undefeated and atop the WBAL Foothill Division standings.
The junior produced 62 points, 12 rebounds and 14 steals as the Knights won three basketball games -- one against co-leader Harker -- and remained tied for first with rival SHP in the West Bay Athletic League.
Honorable mention Hashima Carothers* Eastside Prep basketball
Erin Chang Palo Alto soccer
Destiny Graham Eastside Prep basketball
Amanda McFarland Menlo soccer
Alexus Simon Eastside Prep basketball
Schuyler Tinley-Volk Menlo soccer
Ian Bennett Sacred Heart Prep basketball
Aubrey Dawkins* Palo Alto basketball
Ricky Galliani Sacred Heart Prep basketball
Aldis Petriceks* Palo Alto basketball
Bobby Roth Menlo basketball
Ryan Young Menlo basketball * previous winner
To see video interviews of the Athletes of the Week, go to www.PASportsOnline.com
Boys’ soccer Sacred Heart Prep opened up a five-point lead over second-place Menlo School following a 7-0 romp over visiting Pinewood in a West Bay Athletic League match on Wednesday. Brendan Spillane tallied two goals and two assists, all in the first half, as the first-place Gators (8-0-1, 11-2-2) grabbed a comfortable 6-0 lead. Robert Hellman added one goal and two assists. In San Jose, Menlo fell back in the race following a 0-0 deadlock with host Harker. The second-place Knights are now 6-1-2 in league for 20 points (9-3-3 overall). Only the top two teams in the WBAL automatically qualify for the CCS playoffs. In nonleague action, Palo Alto kept its postseason hopes alive with a 2-0 victory over visiting Gunn. The Vikings (10-4-2)got a firsthalf goal from senior Kirby Gee, off a deflection of a Gunn player, and sophomore Preston Kuppe tallied an unassisted goal in the second half to hand the Titans (5-9-2) the loss. Gunn keeper Mack Radin made several nice stops in the first half to prevent possible goals by Chris Meredith and Gen Murphy. Paly hit
the post and crossbar before Gee’s shot hit a Gunn player and caromed into the cage. Paly had another deflection off the post that didn’t go in during second-half action. Kuppe took a pass from Fernando Rodriguez and dribbled past two defenders before knocking a shot off Radin for the insurance goal. Paly keeper Tony Maharaj had two nice saves, including a spectacular diving save off a header by Gunn’s Guy Kaznik. Gee and fellow senior captain Alex Chin had arguably their best defensive games of the season as Gunn had just a few shots on frame. Wrestling Gunn junior Cadence Lee will go after a third straight title at the girls’ CCS championships this weekend at Oak Grove High in San Jose. Lee will be seeded No. 1 in her division for the two-day event, which begins Friday. Gunn’s Jessica Sun was fifth last year and could be seeded again. Teammate Grace Robinson, meanwhile, has the next best shot (after Lee) to place high. Palo Alto will be represented by Alexa Austin. N
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