Tracy Press

 
Tracy, Lincoln stay tied at top of SJAA

Tracy High’s Monica Guinn (left) tries to get the kick off in front of Lincoln’s Sarah Grafius as her Tracy teammate, Vanessa Leal, closes in from the side during Thursday’s match at home. Photo by Glenn Moore/Tracy Press

Thursday’s soccer match at Plasencia Fields could have put Tracy or Lincoln in first place in the San Joaquin Athletic Association and the other in a tie for second. The 2-2 tie means the Bulldogs and Trojans, if they both continue to beat other teams in the SJAA, will see Friday if one can take sole possession of first place.

Both teams now stand at 7-1-1 in league play. The tied score was still a favorable outcome for the Bulldogs, who lost to Lincoln on March 26 in Stockton. Tracy beat the other contender for first place, the Lodi Flames, on April 4 in Lodi, leaving the Flames with a 7-2 record.

“We had to come out and play hard. It wasn’t going to be an easy game,” said Katelyn Golik, who scored both of Tracy’s goals.

Lincoln scored first when the Trojans came down the side of the field and passed across the front to knock the ball in. Tracy did the same thing a couple of minutes later when Golik was there to make the low shot through the opening in the center of the goal.

They went into the half with Lincoln in the lead, 2-1, after the Trojans moved the ball through the middle of Tracy’s defenders to make the shot.

Tracy’s Breahna Berry (right) leaps to avoid the Lincoln goalie after the attempted shot was blocked. Photo by Glenn Moore/Tracy Press

Tracy goalie Samantha De La Torre said it was a tough defensive challenge for the Bulldogs.

“Since we lost to them, we had to step up our intensity,” she said. “They’re just really aggressive and don’t stop for nothin’.”

Tracy made its second goal toward the end of the second half as the Bulldogs moved the ball to Lincoln’s end of the field and pressed to keep the offensive position. As Tracy moved across the end of the field, Alexis Poppoff knocked the ball in front of the goal, and Golik was there to make the score.

“I knew I just had to get a touch on it, and it just found its way in the front post,” Golik said.

(F/S) Tracy 5, Lincoln 0

Tracy scored right away, but the rest of the first half was a defensive standoff. Defensive player Victoria Piazza said coach Phil Kalis reminded the team at halftime that a one-goal lead can quickly disappear.

Tracy High’s Chantal Genest (left) tries to get control of the ball near the sideline as Lincoln’s Chyla Cohan and Alexandra Ruhl look for the steal. Photo by Glenn Moore/Tracy Press

“We started to lay back a little, and they seemed to want it more,” she said. “In the second half, we definitely flipped a switch and came together as a team.”

The win puts Tracy at 9-0 in the SJAA and 13-0-1 overall.

Melissa Aboud and Ashley Arteaga each scored two and Marissa Matta also scored one for Tracy. Alyssa Strope, Danielle Stepanoff, Liesel Bogetti, Aboud and Arteaga were all credited with assists.

West 3, Stagg 2

West had to come back from behind twice to beat Stagg at Plasencia Fields on Wednesday.

Stagg scored first and Daisy Diaz scored West’s first goal with an assist from Kristy Fojo to tie the score at 1-1 going into halftime.

Stagg scored first in the second half, and West responded when Natalie Shaw pounced on a loose ball just outside of the goal box to make an unassisted score. Fojo scored West third goal on a penalty kick.

The win puts West at 3-1 in the Tri-City Athletic League and 5-3-1 overall, after a 2-0 win against Edison on Monday. In that game, Diaz scored with an assist from Shaw and scored again with an assist from Brittany Bennett.

The Wolf Pack will face their toughest foe, St. Mary’s, on Wednesday in Stockton.

(F/S) West 6, Stagg 0

West scored three times in each half as the team put into play the defensive, passing and possession tricks they’ve practiced. West captain Monica Monzo opened up the scoring in the third minute, followed by Maggie DeLoza with a penalty kick in the 19th minute and Daisy Robledo in the 33rd minute. 

Robledo scored again in the 48th minute and Jasmin Fonseca scored in the 69th and 77th minutes. Keeper Dulce Perez was credited with two saves. The Wolf Pack’s record is 4-2-3 overall and 2-0-1 in TCAL.

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