Sports

Tam Soccer Splits Pair, Seeks Playoff Push

After getting shut out by Branson, Red-tailed Hawks rebounded with a solid 4-0 trouncing of Terra Linda.

After a lackluster 2-0 loss to Branson last week, the Tam High boys soccer team regained its footing with a 4-0 shellacking of Terra Linda Friday. The split kept the Red-tailed Hawks (8-2-4 overall, 4-2-2 in the Marin County Athletic League) in prime playoff position, trailer first-place Drake by four points in the standings in second at 14 points.

But while coach Dustin Nygaard said he was pleased with his team's play, he still wants to see them maintain the high energy, stalwart passing and communication that pushed them to such a strong start to the season.

"I'd like to think that we've gotten ourselves back on track," he said. "But it's about showing it on the field every day, and we have to get back to playing the way we were."

Find out what's happening in Mill Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Branson seized the moment in the game at College of Marin, putting the Red-tailed Hawks on their heels.

"They came out needing a win badly to stay in the playoff hunt, and they outworked us," Nygaard said. "We just didn't play anywhere near our capabilities. It was a tough game for us."

Find out what's happening in Mill Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Like many ruts in sports, the Hawks' funk was fixed by an excellent practice the next day. They began the game against Terra Linda moving the ball wall, communicating, and using multiple passes to push down the field instead of relying on one player to take it all the way himself, Nygaard said.

Junior Tesfaye Paine got on the board first, rifling a shot from the top of the 18-yard box and watching it scoot past the diving goalkeeper. The scored stayed 1-0 until halftime, and Tam came out strong in the second half.

Julien Melendez made his presence felt in the second half, breaking past two defenders down the left side of the field just two minutes into play, surging into the 6-yard box before dropping it off to sophomore Harrison Krepack, who put it home.

"Julien set it up really nicely and did the right thing by playing it across the middle as the keeper came to him," Nygaard said.

Melendez penetrated deep down the left side later in the half, cut inside the 18-yard box and struck a shot to the near post as he got the goalkeeper leaning towards the far post. In the last minute of the game, Spenser LaBay made an excellent diagonal cross to junior midfielder Seth Gillis, who out the ball in the back of the net for the 4-0 shutout victory.

Up Next: Tam hosts Novato at home Wednesday at 4:30, and visits Drake in a showdown of the top two teams in MCAL Friday.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here