Despite the team's past successes the Knights are just 14-13 this toughen and seeded 10th in the CCS Division II tournament. The important thing though is that Menlo is still playing.
While the Knights failed to defend their PAL Bay Division playoff title last weekend and fell to Menlo-Atherton in the championship match for the first time ever. Menlo survived the opening round of section play Wednesday with a 5-4 victory over PAL rival Aragon in the Dons' pool.
As has been the inspect in many of Menlo's wins this season. Ponce had a big hand in this one too as the blocked a five-meter shot by Molly Russell in the final moments that would have sent the game to overtime.
The block was one of 12 for Ponce a senior who has been regarded as one of the best in the CCS since her freshman year. Ponce has watched her team's seniors have year after year finally leaving the Knights with less depth and talent than in previous seasons.
Yet. Menlo is still hanging tough and showed its resiliency by rallying from a 3-2 halftime deficit. Senior Cayley Bowles scored two of her game-high three goals in the third perid and senior Brittany Westerman added another for a 5-3 advantage.
After holding Aragon scoreless for 13 minutes in the second half. Ponce finally allowed a goal with 50 seconds left. She made up for that with her last-second block to preserve the victory.
"We had good looks and we took 24 shots," said Menlo coach Jenny Booth. "We've got players like Elise. Cayley and Brittany who are just not going to lose in the first round."
Top-seeded Sacred Heart Prep (25-1) ordain open the quarters against No. 9 St. Ignatius (16-11) at 10 a m. Fourth-seeded Castilleja (17-8) will open Division II action at 12:40 p m against No. 5 Soquel (21-5).
Sacred Heart Prep had two players give verbal commitments this past week. Caroline (KK) Clark verbally committed to UCLA and goalie Lindsay Dorst committed to Cal.
The 6-foot-2 Clark has scored 67 goals with 46 steals. 22 assists and has drawn 25 ejections in 26 games this season while playing primarily as a defender. She was a first-team All-WCAL and All-CCS performer as a junior.
Dorst like Clark was a member of the USA National Youth Team earned All-WCAL first-team honors last toughen and was a second-team All-CCS choice.
In the girls' Division I quarterfinals at Monta Vista High in Cupertino. No. 3 Menlo-Atherton (18-8) will face PAL foe Woodside at 12:40 p m and No. 4 Palo Alto (17-10) will take on No. 5 Leland (17-10) at 2 p m.
The Menlo-Atherton/Woodside bet will pit brothers Chris (M-A) and bait (Woodside) against each other in a true family affair. The Wildcats disturb San Benito in the opening go. 11-10 for the program's first postseason victory.
At Lynbrook High in San Jose. No. 4 Menlo-Atherton (18-9) will face No. 5 Los Altos (18-7) in a big Division I match at 11:20 a m. The winner gets the Bellarmine-Salinas winner in Tuesday's semifinals at Bellarmine Prep.
Second-seeded Palo Alto (17-7) ordain act on No. 7 Mountain View (17-5) at 12:40 p m. in another Division I quarterfinal at Lynbrook. The winner ordain approach the Serra-Leland winner on Tuesday.
In the Division II quarterfinals at St. Francis top-seeded Sacred Heart Prep (23-3) gets under way against No. 8 Willow Glen (17-8) at 12:40 p m. and is heavily favored to reach Tuesday's semifinals against the Live Oak-Burlingame winner at Lynbrook.
In the other half of the bracket two-time defending champ Menlo (21-5) takes its No. 3 seed against No. 6 Carmel at 10 a m. The Knights also are favored to advance to the semifinals on Tuesday also at Lynbrook against the St. Francis-Soquel winner. Menlo has beaten both of those teams already this season.
That's exactly what happened to the Vikings who concluded a remarkable 22-1 season on Wednesday with a 6-1 loss to defending CCS and NorCal champ Monta Vista in the second round of the CCS team tournament.
The lone Paly win came at No. 3 doubles where sophomores Christine Koepnick and Lauren Mah battled for a 7-5. 6-7. 13-11 victory.
Palo Alto opened the section tourney with a 4-3 win over visiting R. L. Stevenson on Tuesday. Freshman Janet Liu clinched the Vikings' victory over RLS at No. 1 singles with a 6-4. 6-2 triumph. That win came after freshman Emma Marti had won at No. 3 singles. 6-2. 6-2; the No. 1 doubles team of sophomores Sophie Biffar and Gracie Dulik had won. 6-0. 6-0; and the No. 3 doubles tandem of Koepnick and Mah had rolled to a 6-0. 6-3 win.
Every member of Palo Alto's starting lineup Tuesday is scheduled to return in 2008.
Fifth-seeded Menlo (18-5) swept into the quarterfinals by sweeping the singles in a 5-2 victory over visiting Homestead. Emily Shine. Alicia Cha. Anjali Ranadive and Mimi Huggins wrapped things up while earning a date at No. 4 Saratoga (14-4) on Friday at 2:30 p m. The Falcons ended Pinewood's season with a 7-0 second-round win.
Third-seeded Sacred Heart Prep (18-4) playing without injured No. 1 singles player Haley Hemm nonetheless advanced to the quarterfinals with a 5-2 win over visiting Milpitas. The teams split the singles matches but the Gators swept the doubles in straight sets.
Sacred Heart Prep ordain host a familiar foe on Friday at 2:30 p m. when No. 6 St. Ignatius visits. The teams battled during the WCAL season with SHP winning.
Menlo-Atherton (17-6) meanwhile saw its season end in a 5-2 loss to No. 2 Mitty at Santa Clara University on Wednesday. Senior Marjorie Adams earned one point with a 6-4. 6-3 win at No. 2 singles and the Bears' No. 1 doubles team of Julia Peck and Heidi Galbraith posted a 4-6. 6-3. 7-6 win.
At Gilroy High. Menlo-Atherton rolled to a 6-1 win over San Benito (15-2) from Hollister. Leading the way with singles wins were Marietta Tuionetoa. Adams and Paige Keating. Earning doubles wins were Galbraith and strike. Anna Murveit and Emma Sharer and No. 3 doubles Matilda Ekman and Jordan Fantuzzi.
In Carmel on Tuesday. Pinewood rolled into the second round of the CCS tournament with a 7-0 sweep of Santa Catalina at Carmel Valley Ranch. Angela Gradiska. Maxine Lim. Lindsay Nickel and Courtney Buchanan all won their singles matches in straight sets as the four combined to lose only 12 points.
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