Captains from each side prepare to face off. | Giuliano Orsi |
SAN JOSE, CA – The atmosphere was surely a different feel for the Archbishop Mitty Monarchs, who were looking to bounce back from their opening WCAL defeat versus Bellarmine at Avaya Stadium two weeks before.
Wednesday was a test of how the team has improved throughout the early season, as they kicked off against the visiting St. Ignatius Wildcats at John Mise park, just outside the Mitty campus.
The Wildcats had defeated the Monarchs in both regular season meetings last year, and were already off to strong 5-2 overall start.
Mitty on the other hand, hoisted a measly 1-3-3 record coming into the match. However, right from the start the Monarchs took control and carried their momentum with them throughout the entire game. Each team had their chances, but Mitty was able to convert theirs at the right times, eventually walking out with an impressive 3-0 victory.
Makena Pendleton, junior winger and captain of the Monarchs, earned himself a brace after converting a first half penalty kick and sliding another through the legs of the Wildcats’ goalkeeper in the second half of play. The leading goal scorer for Mitty’s team last year has been the go-to man on attack once again, and was able to earn his chances against the tough defense that SI presents
“We’ve had a struggle in the first part of the season, which includes a lot of injuries. Our goal was to regroup and earn a victory today, which is what we did,” Pendleton said. “We got our act together. We played as a team and passed the ball around well today, which ended up getting us more chances than them (SI).”
As for the Wildcats, they definitely had their fair share of shots to the net themselves. However, Chris Romano, goalkeeper for the Monarchs, was able to stop every shot that came his way during the match, finishing with five saves on the night -- none of which came easily. As a team, the Wildcats did take their time to find the right chances to go for goal. They shot a high percentage of their shots on net, but Romano was able to fend off each attack. Possibly the most important stop by Romano all night came late in the second half, with his team leading 2-0.
SI’s Mike Bertiglia teed up a soaring free kick from 10 yards outside the box that was heading right for the top right of Mitty’s goal. Romano dove at the ball and was just able to get his fingertips on it, which left him sprawled on the ground and the ball bouncing off the crossbar and out of play.
For SI, it was a struggle at times to set up scoring chances. The Mitty defense took away most of the through ball attempts.
“We underperformed today,” said SI coach Alan Downey. “A lot of our star players didn’t have it today, and it’s honestly hard to put my finger on what the real issue was.”
From start to finish, Mitty controlled the ball very well, which set up plenty of chances for a Monarch to find the back of the net. The first goal for the Monarchs came on a penalty shot from Pendleton in the 22nd minute of the first half, after sophomore forward Jake Serpa of the Monarchs created a stellar chance for himself on the break. Before Serpa could take his shot, he was tripped in the box by the goalkeeper of the Wildcats, Nathan Kushner, inciting the referee to signal for a PK, which would then be driven in by Pendleton.
The Monarchs held their 1-0 lead going into half, but quickly added to it in the second. Once again Pendleton would find the back of the net, this time coming from a hard-driven shot from the top right area of the box that was initially blocked by SI’s Kushner. However, the ball found its way between the legs of the hunched over goalkeeper, and the ball trickled into the back of the net behind him.
Even though Pendleton earned himself a brace, his night might have been outshined by the final goal coming from fellow teammate and also junior, Andrew Robertson. With around ten minutes to play before the final whistle was blown, junior midfielder Alex Barajas created a golden opportunity in the box for Mitty. The ball was sent high into the air about 10 yards away from the goaline. Robertson turned his body facing opposite to SI’s goal, and scorched an amazing bicycle kick off the crossbar and into the net behind the stunned Kushner.
The circus shot capped off what would be a true statement performance by the Monarch squad, which has been improving its play since the beginning of the season.
“It’s definitely an important league win,” Mitty coach Cesar Chavez said. “I’m proud that we were able to recover from the loss versus Bellarmine. Especially against a tough team that is SI, we gotta bring our A-game, which is what we did.”
Mitty is at Riordan on Saturday moring. SI hosts Bellarmine on Saturday morning.
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