SAN MATEO, CA – The first of senior Neel Prasad's two goals set the tone early for Hillsdale in its 5-0 win over Capuchino in the PAL-Ocean Division opener for both schools.
Prasad broke away from the Mustangs defense, just five minutes into the match, received a pass from junior Ben Nestor, and poked the ball past the Capuchino keeper.
“That goal will hopefully not just set the tone for the game but for the whole season,” Prasad said.
That intensity which Prasad brought in the first ten minutes of the game reflected how Hillsdale would play the rest of the game.
Capuchino looked fairly confident as they tried to answer back, taking over the possession game and pushing the ball past midfield and into Knights territory for the majority of the first 30 minutes of the half.
This Hillsdale team has relied on their explosive plays this season, and showed one of many today as senior Inigo Sanchez took the ball unassisted straight through the defense and drilled a 10-yard goal to put Hillsdale up 2-0.
Capuchino dominated the first half in terms of possession almost 70-30. Hillsdale, being up for most of the half was playing very defensively. They were very conservative with the ball and did not want to make that one big mistake that could give the Mustangs a chance at a comeback.
Hillsdale (5-1, 1-0 PAL-Ocean) started off strong in the second half by aggressively pushing the ball into Mustang territory, and ten minutes into the half, Prasad took the ball along the left sideline and centered it with a strong left foot, where Evan Snodgrass finished by way of a backwards header just beyond the reach of the goalkeeper.
A scary moment came halfway through the second half when Hillsdale goalkeeper Damon Prasad went up for a save and was hit from behind, causing him to smack his head on the turf. He laid motionless for at least five seconds before sitting up slowly for the trainers to take a look. He was taken out of the game, but according to coach Chris Rodman, he passed all of the concussion tests and should be ready for next game.
The next big play came from Snodgrass, who returned the favor to Neel Prasad by setting him up for a shot from 30 yards out, which he drilled straight through the goalkeeper's hands, giving him two goals and one assist on the day.
The fifth and final goal of the game came on a penalty kick from 25 yards out. Ben Nestor had a beautiful set piece to Brandon Mayeda for a header to ice the game.
“We need to stay together as a team and buy into the game plan in order to play better and have a chance at winning a league title,” Rodman commented after the game.
"As a team, we need to set the tone early in the game and let them know that we are there to play,” Neel Prasad added.
Capuchino (1-2, 0-1) looks to bounce back when they take on Half Moon Bay on Friday at 5:30, while Hillsdale visits Terra Nova on the same day at 4:00.
