Pitman soccer falls to Rocklin in D-II semi

With two wins under their belt in the CIF Division-II Sac-Joaquin Section tournament, Pitman High's varsity boys soccer team was one victory away from competing for a blue banner but all hopes ended on Wednesday night after the Pride traveled to take on No. 1 Rocklin.

It was a physical and defensive battle for the majority of the game, especially after a 0-0 end of regulation.

Finally after two overtimes, it was Pitman, the No. 4 seed which forced the game into penalty kicks after fending off Rocklin towards the end.

In the end, Pitman missed the eventual tying goal in penalty kicks and fell to Rocklin in a thriller, 4-5.

“Phenomenal game on both sides,” said Pitman assistant coach Cesar Mercado. “Both sides were riding the adrenaline. It was cold out there but nobody cramped up, nobody went down physically, even contest all around.

 “Effort was there, soccer was there, it’s just PK were unlucky at that moment of the game, very thankful and fortunate to have these young men.”

Delhi one win away from upset

The Delhi High varsity boys soccer team failed to adjust to the artificial turf along with the damp weather in Wednesday night's semifinal matchup with the No. 2 team Summerville in the CIF Division-V Sac-Joaquin Section tournament.

It was a hard fought game for the Hawks who went into the game hopeful, after a big upset in the first round.

 Under tough circumstances, however, Delhi failed to produce much offense or hold on to the ball and by the end of the first half, the Hawks were down to Summerville, 2-0.

The Hawks allowed one goal in the second half and Summerville held on to the 3-0 victory and a spot in the Section Championship game.

“It was a hard loss. Our kids played hard but it was too fast for us, we could not adjust,” said Delhi head coach Armando Salazar. “We had chances to score early, but the score doesn't show how we played.”

Delhi found some opportunities in the opening 20 minutes of the contest, but as the rain began to fall, the poor field conditions caused problems for Delhi.

“We just couldn't catch the ball,” Salazar said about the conditions. “We tried to play our game but it was too fast for us, we couldn't adjust and Summerville played well.

“I still believe we were the best team in our league this year,” he added. “Overall it was a great season because we definitely exceeded my expectations, we had many kids step up. We know it's tough to make the playoffs and we actually had a good team.”