On a typical California winter afternoon under a warm sun and clear sky, the looming cloud of competition hovered over the field as the top two teams in the SCVAL De Anza Division took the field Wednesday. With both teams wrestling for a league title, very little separated the two teams and visiting Los Altos came away with a 2-1 win at Mountain View.
The win improved the Eagles' record to 9-2-2 overall (6-1-1 SCVAL-DA, 19 points); the Spartans dropped to 12-4-1 (5-3-1).
The score remained 0-0 until 68th minute when Los Altos forward Allie Crum provided the first goal of the match. Players and spectators alike were shocked as Crum, over 20 yards from the goal, hit a powerful shot straight into the deep middle of the net. Mountain View goalkeeper Sophie Brotzel had no time to react, and the ball soared over her head.
“I can’t even describe it,” Crum said. “I get so excited when I score, especially against a team like Mountain View.”
Crum is just a sophomore, but has proved indomitable on the field. She has received recognition for her contributions in several local newspapers, specifically the Los Altos Town Crier. She and freshman forward Tess Wendelken – twin sister of starting goalie Carrie Wendelken – are among the team leaders in goals this season, with Crum leading the way with six.
Crum’s goal rallied Los Altos, and the players came to life as the second half wound down. Only three minutes after her first goal, Crum converged on the net again to score the second goal of the game with a swift kick to the top right corner.
Despite the confidence that comes with a lead so close to the end of the game, the celebration was cut short when an assist from defender Neha Cheemalavagu gave freshman forward Ysabel Baulyot the first Mountain View goal in the 74th minute.
In the last few seconds of the game, Los Altos defense sealed the victory. Defender Rebecca Andrews was unshakeable, and her aggression and persistence stopped multiple attempts by forward Ysabel Baluyot for a break away.
As time ran out, the game turned into a desperate scramble, resulting in a yellow card on forward Stephanie Kouvelas for interfering with Mountain View goalkeeper Alesha Brown. Los Altos gained possession and once again, Baulyot pushed against Los Altos defense in an attempt to tie the game, but time ran out and the Spartans came up short 2-1.
“This was a very important game for us, “ Los Altos coach Armando Luna said. “Mountain View is the team behind us in the standings, and this win put us a couple games ahead of them.”
Both teams continue play against Monta Vista (2-5-2 division, 6-5-5 overall). Los Altos plays Friday, February 1 at 3:30, and Mountain View plays Wednesday, February 6 at 5:30.
