PORTOLA VALLEY — The shots on goal were like rapid fire in Tuesday’s showdown between Peninsula Athletic League Ocean Division frontrunners. With both Terra Nova and Half Moon Bay’s goalkeepers combining for 36 saves in the match, however, points were at a premium.
In the end, Half Moon Bay (7-0 PAL Ocean) moved into sole possession of first place with a 9-6 victory over rival Terra Nova on a sunny day at the Cougars’ part-time home pool at Woodside Priory. The Ocean Division is now at the midway point of its league schedule.
Half Moon Bay now has its sights set on unchartered waters, as the program has never advanced to the Central Coast Section postseason. Needless to say, standing toe to toe with the Ocean Division’s other CCS hopeful was an important test for the Cougars.
“Very important because I believe Terra Nova is our hardest competition,” Half Moon Bay goalie Jennifer Martuscelli said. “Now we’re halfway through the season. So we have a shot to go undefeated and go to CCS.”
Martuscelli totaled 15 saves, and fought off a Terra Nova onslaught at the end of the third quarter to keep what was then a two-point lead intact.
The junior shut out the Tigers (6-1) in the fourth quarter, including a save on one of the fiercest shots on goal of the match, a heads-up spin shot by Terra Nova senior Kaia Ford. The rebound went to Terra Nova junior Kaylie Mini, who took aim from just off the left post. Mini too was denied by a stellar Martuscelli save.
Terra Nova keeper Carly Watts was equally as impressive, and got tested more as the day wore on. The faster the shots Half Moon Bay fired her way, the better the junior standout performed. Watts totaled 21 saves in the match.
“She’s what kept us in the game,” Terra Nova head coach Don Potter said. “She continuously blocked shots over and over and over again. … She was phenomenal.”
Through the opening three minutes of the game, it looked as though the matchup might be a cakewalk for Watts. While Half Moon Bay managed three softball shots, it was slow goings, with Terra Nova jumping out to a 1-0 lead less than two minutes in on a goal by senior Katelyn Federico.
Half Moon Bay responded with a vengeance though. The Cougars went on to score four unanswered goals in the first quarter by four different players — senior Julie Raffetto, senior Kacie Sorfleet, sophomore Rachel Jenar and junior Lilly Nelson — and added a fifth straight score to start the second quarter with Sorfleet finishing on a fast break to up the lead to 5-1.
“Our first quarter is usually our slowest quarter,” Half Moon Bay head coach Heather McLaughlin said. “Especially in this pool (at Priory), we have no time to warm up.”
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Then Watts turned the battle into a brawl and her Terra Nova team woke up around her.
Playing with only nine players, Terra Nova was dealt a blow when senior Karina Pranza was disqualified in the second quarter. Her fellow Tigers rallied in her absence, though, scoring three unanswered goals to close out the first half. Junior Brooke Garrett scored off a steal and assist from Mini with 3:55 remaining in the half, followed by goals from senior Katelyn Federico and Ford to cut Half Moon Bay’s lead to 5-4 heading into the break.
Half Moon Bay reciprocated with three straight goals to open the second half, getting scores from senior Nikki Sorfleet, Nelson and Jenar.
The Cougars knew what they were up against in Watts. Several Half Moon Bay players train at the Burlingame Aquatics Center along with Terra Nova’s keeper. So, the strategy going into the match was to back off the power game.
“Our lead scorers are familiar with that goalie,” McLaughlin said. “So we really wanted to work on our shot placement.”
After Terra Nova cut the lead to 8-6 with 2:16 to go in the third quarter on a Mini score, Martuscelli endured on onslaught on the following two possessions.
With 1:25 left in the third, Ford fired a spin shot that got past Martuscelli, but it hit the crossbar. Less that a minute later, Martuscelli received an exclusion penalty, to which Mini immediately reacted by putting the ball in the empty net. The shot was waived off, however, due to being inside the 2-meter mark.
After Kacie Norfleet scored with 5:33 remaining to up the lead to 9-6, Half Moon Bay missed five shots on two consecutive possessions, including two attempts going off the post, one going wide and two monster saves by Watts.
Offense proved the best defense for the Cougars, though, as they used two late steals to control the ball through most of the closing five minutes.
Terra Nova will get its chance to rematch with Half Moon Bay on the final day of the regular season Thursday, Oct. 18 at Terra Nova.
“I think we’re still in the running,” Potter said. “We’ve only lost one game … so we’re right there.”
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