M-A boys claim PAL soccer title on final day of the season - Palo Alto Online

The Menlo-Atherton boys soccer team are heading for the Central Coast Section Open Division after securing the Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division title Friday, playing host Burlingame to a 1-1 tie.

As it turned out, Carlmont lost its finale, 5-0, to Sequoia, so the Bears (9-5-5, 9-3-2) won the title by a comfortable four point margin.

It appears that up to four teams from the West Catholic Athletic League could make up the majority of the Open Division, which will mean another heartbreak for Sacred Heart Prep, despite the Gators second straight unbeaten regular season.

Bellarmine, Mitty and Sacred Heart Cathedral are locks to play in Open and St. Francis, just over .500 on the season, is on the bubble. Outside of the WCAL the Lancers are 2-1-1 against 'A' league schools. SHP loaded up on 'A' league opponents in the preseason and fashioned a 5-0-1 mark.

Watsonville, Lincoln or Leland and Santa Clara or Mountain View will join M-A in the Open Division.

Gunn can make a case for Division I after finishing its Santa Clara Valley Athletic League El Camino Division, like the WBAL, a 'B' league. The Titans dominated league play and ended with a 2-0 victory over visiting Lynbrook on Friday.

Senior James Hahn, who recorded both assists against Lynbrook, led the division with 15 goals scored. He aided in goals by seniors Ryan Wang and Rayan Taghizadeh, both scored in the second half.

Senior goalie Pierre Napaa made numerous saves to maintain a clean sheet for Gunn (15-1-4, 10-0-2), which led the division in scoring.

Gunn honored its seniors Friday night: Colin MacPherson, Danny Bisenti, Henry Merchant, Hahn, Napaa, Preston Dankwah, Reid Devereaux, Wang, Taghizadeh and Will Markevitch.

In the WBAL, Menlo School maintained its hold on second place with a 1-1 tie against Harker. Christian Cororan scored on a penalty kick for the Knights (13-2-4, 8-2-1), who have a two-point edge on the Eagles with a match to play.

In the SCVAL De Anza Division, Palo Alto dropped a 2-0 decision to host Los Altos.

Girls soccer

Sophomore Ana Schremp scored three times and freshman Mia Steadman also scored as Gunn beat host Lynbrook 4-1 to clinch the SCVAL El Camino Division title.

Gunn senior Nicole Smith contributed on both sides of the field, with a clean sheet in goal for the first half and an assist as a striker in the second.

Gunn (12-3-2, 10-0) leads the league in offense and defense, scoring 45 goals while allowing 17. Haley Parrett, Catherine Hsieh and Sawyer McKenna have been solid in front of Smith all season.

In the WBAL, host Menlo School played league champion Notre Dame Belmont to a 2-2 tie, scoring twice in the second half to rally, both by Carolina Espinosa. The Knights are 9-4-7, 6-1-3, finishing five points behind NDB.

In the SCVAL De Anza Division, Palo Alto lost to visiting Los Altos, 1-0.