By Caleb Knudsen
The winter sports schedule is winding down as yet another atmospheric river dumps on Sonoma County, adding a bit of gloom to a season already losing momentum after some pre-league success.
When last we checked in with the boys soccer team, they had just begun their league season with a tie game against Piner, 1-1, on the Healdsburg field. The following Saturday, Jan. 19, they headed up to Lake County to meet Kelseyville, and came home with a 5-0 win in their non-league column.
Another league 1-1 tie against Elsie Allen on Jan. 21 gave them no forward momentum, but back-to-back 1-0 victories over Analy on Jan. 23 and Santa Rosa on Jan. 29 put them on their feet. Junior Jairo Mendoza made the goal in the Analy game, and Diego Rodriguez, assisted by Mendoza, scored against Santa Rosa.
The two recent wins give them a 2-0-2 record in the league, and a shot at the title. Standing in their way is Piner, whom they met on Wednesday (results too late for press time) and Analy. Both of those teams have won 3 league matches. But the 5-team Redwood standings are close enough that it’s anybody’s guess who gets the NBL-Redwood boys soccer title.
Two home games remain on the boys soccer schedule: Friday, Feb. 7, against Elsie Allen, and a week later against Santa Rosa.
Girls Soccer
The last couple of weeks for the girls soccer team has seen a rude awakening. After going without a loss through the season’s first 15 games, they lost two in a row—both to NBL-Redwood division rivals. On Friday, Jan. 24, Piner came calling and shut out the Greyhounds 4-0. Piner’s sophomore Kamila Olvera scored twice, while big sister Sierra Olvera scored one goal and Brenda Crespo also had one.
A few nights later, on Jan. 28, Rancho Cotate also took home a 1-0 win, with sophomore Miajane Smith kicking the game’s sole goal in the second half.
This opens the door for the league’s second half, but the Greyhounds have reason for optimism. They defeated Santa Rosa on Jan. 17 with a 3-0 win and Elsie Allen on Jan. 22 by a resounding 6-0. The rematches are Feb. 4 against Santa Rosa and Feb. 6 at home against Elsie Allen (a Senior Night game). That makes their record at this point 2-2, but Piner still sits atop the league with its 5-0 record.
The season’s final games before any league playoff will be challenging: Feb. 11 against Piner (5-0), and Feb. 13 against Rancho Cotate (3-1).
