Last Tuesday (18th) afternoon, the team headed down to Santa Rosa for the first of their two annual ‘big matches’ against the 2011 League Champions, Roseland University Prep. These two schools, along with Calistoga, have finished as the top three teams during the regular season for seven consecutive years, although the Knights of Roseland have won the title in each of the last two and convincingly won 4-0 in the corresponding game last season, after a 1-1 tie in the match played between the teams in Anderson Valley.
Many of the Panther players slept on the way down Hwy 101 to the match but by game time, and following an in-depth pre-game team talk, they were ready to go. Adopting a defensive-minded 4-1-4-1 formation, A.V. found themselves under heavy early pressure but seemed to have weathered that storm when, in the 17th minute, Roseland’s most dangerous player, senior Michael Irturbe, an all-league selection since his freshman year, seized upon a Panther defensive lapse and let fly with a hard low shot from twenty yards that eluded the full length dive of Christian Mendoza in the A.V. goal. 0-1 to Roseland.
The Panthers responded well and created a couple of half-chances but overall they were losing the possession battle with the Knights, yet were tackling and competing as well as they had all season. In the 38th minute, just before half-time, a splendid move on the Panther right wing, featured several passes, culminating in Junior Ferreyra’s fine pass that split open the Roseland defense and saw Jose Gaxiola run through before calmly placing a shot wide of the exposed ‘keeper. 1-1 at the half.
The second half saw A.V. again playing with great determination and effort, keeping to the game plan, competing for every ball with great tackling and discipline, and repeatedly frustrating the very gifted Roseland team. Led by particularly good performances from ‘keeper Mendoza and his fellow captain Manny Almeida plus freshman Abraham Sanchez in the heart of the Panther defense, and the inexhaustible Erik Martinez and Omar Solano in midfield, A.V. gave their best showing of the season in what was a very intense match that required great concentration for the whole eighty minutes from every player. They may have even ‘sneaked’ a winning goal on a couple of counter attacks but in the end the game finished 1-1, a fully deserved draw, and one that resulted in a sea of happy faces at the local ‘In-and-Out Burger’ as a hearty post-game feast was enjoyed before the trip home.
On Friday, St Vincent’s of Petaluma made the long journey to the Valley for an important league game for both teams. They had beaten Roseland 1-0 a week or two earlier and are certainly the most likely team to break up that three-team stranglehold at the top of the league standings that I mentioned above.
The game was a scrappy affair throughout with neither team able to settle into any cohesive rhythm. A.V. took a deserved lead in the 27th minute when Juan Lua scrambled the ball into the net following a melée in the Mustangs’ goalmouth but, based on chances created, it should have been more than a one-goal lead at the half. The second half saw a revitalized St Vincent team and they equalized direct from a 25-yard free-kick that was needlessly conceded by A.V. in the 55th minute. The Panthers had two or three very good opportunities to get the winning goal in the last fifteen minutes but, not for the first time this season, their finishing in front of goal let them down and the game ended 1-1. This was disappointing following Tuesday’s efforts at Roseland but the Mustangs are a solid team and, unless you take the opportunities to put them away when those situations arise, as they did in the first half particularly, teams like that grow in confidence and are always in with a chance of getting something out of the match.
At the time of writing, Monday, Sept 24th, the team were preparing for another home game that will see Middletown coming to the Valley. The following two games are then away, at Calistoga (Friday, Sept 28th) and Sonoma Academy (Tuesday, Oct 2nd), before the team plays a couple of back-to-back matches at home against Point Arena and Fort Bragg — on Friday and Saturday, Oct 5th and 6th, both starting at 4.30pm. A large and boisterous crowd of locals would be much appreciated for these important games — we hope to see you there. Come on you Panthers!
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