Los Gatos entered the game with an impressive 8-0-1 record, but the Wildcats were now facing perennial power Mountain View, a team that took the field having allowed just one goal in its first eight games.
Coach Jan Nordmo had circled this game on his calendar long ago — would his young varsity soccer team be up to the challenge?
And when Mountain View scored in the 18th minute to take a 1-0 lead, he easily could have figured that was the game. But his Cats scored three of the next four goals and held on for a hard-fought 3-2 win over the Spartans.
“We were faced with a solid and well-organized opponent today” said Nordmo. “Mountain View is a side we feel good about beating — we know they are strong, and when you play against such a team and beat them, it goes a long way to improve one’s confidence and play into the league.”
Two minutes after the Spartans took the lead, sophomore Melissa Johns tied the game with a goal off a Brianne Medved corner kick from the Cats’ right side.
Los Gatos midfielders Mariah Cleveland and Megan Fee were helping control the midfield play in the first half, but the Wildcats were having trouble penetrating the Mountain View zone. Nordmo added a third forward, Taylor Comeau, to the attack, and it paid off.
Mountain View took a 2-1 lead at the 47th minute, but again two minutes later the game was tied. This time it was Comeau who scored, outracing the Mountain View defenders and finding the back of the net.
Both teams had excellent chances to retake the lead, but the goalkeepers were up to the task. Finally, a misdirected goal kick deflected from the Spartans’ side put Medved in position to take a shot from 25 yards out, and she found the back of a mostly open net.
Nordmo got his usual outstanding play from Comeau and Medved, two of the top scorers in the CCS. But he also singled out the great games put in by Cleveland, Fee, Emily SanJuan on defense, and goalkeeper Heather Rouhier.
Earlier in the week, Los Gatos opened league play with a decisive 3-0 win over Los Altos. The Cats started out slowly but eventually used their team speed to overwhelm the Eagles.
“Los Altos would have the first two attempts on goal, which made me think perhaps we were a little too casual at the start,” said Nordmo.
But as has been the case all season, the Wildcats would bounce back. Comeau and Medved began to take over the game, launching shot after shot at the Los Altos keeper. Finally, a shot by Comeau was mishandled, and freshman Hannah Rosenberg pounced on the loose ball and scored.
Just before halftime, senior Nina Purro fed a cross to Rosenberg, who rifled it home for her second goal of the game.
Rouhier had to make a diving save in the second half to preserve the shutout, and the Cats would add a third goal when Comeau had a late break down the left side and centered the ball to junior Jaymi Werner, who finished from the top of the goal box.
Although not on the scoring sheet, Nordmo praised the play of back Chloe Mason, Cleveland in the midfield, and forward Amy Hudson.
The Cats will play twice again next week, visiting Homestead on Tuesday and hosting Palo Alto on Thursday. Both games begin at 3:30 p.m.
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