The two local soccer teams in the Palo Alto Winter Classic didn’t lose a tournament game – and one of them came away with the championship.
The Los Altos High girls went 4-0-1 on their way to the tourney title, while the Mountain View High girls finished 3-0-1.
The Eagles, under new coach Armando Luna, claimed the crown by edging host Palo Alto 4-3 on penalty kicks Saturday. Officially, the game – scoreless at the end of regulation – goes down as a tie.
Los Altos’ Katie Winters made the decisive penalty kick and goalie Chita Maldonado made a diving save of Paly’s final attempt.
Mountain View closed the tourney with a 2-0 consolation-round win over Castilleja Friday. Emma Maltbaek and Morgan Matthews scored for the Spartans, assisted by Emily Andrew and Melissa Reed, respectively.
Mountain View dropped into the consolation bracket a day earlier with a 1-1 tie against Gunn, which advanced 4-2 on penalty kicks. Andrew scored for the Spartans, assisted by Allie Gamble.
Mountain View comes into its next game – a non-leaguer scheduled 3:30 p.m. Thursday at St. Francis – with a 4-0-1 overall record.
“The girls have done a nice job so far overall,” said new coach Ivan Bandov. “We’ve been a bit unlucky with injuries and missing kids for other reasons, so the thin playing roster has been a challenge. We have some quality players – the team has a tremendous work rate and are starting to build good chemistry on the field that has helped us get through this tough period with some decent results.”
St. Francis enters the game 4-0, coming off a 1-0 home win over Scotts Valley Saturday. Megan Keeth scored for the Lancers, assisted by Annie Kingman.
Pinewood pasted Latino College Prep 8-0 Dec. 5, getting goals from seven players. Danielle Man scored twice for the Panthers.
Boys basketball
Los Altos got off to a fast start in beating Harker 52-44 in the consolation final of the Lynbrook Tournament Saturday. The Eagles led 15-8 after the first quarter and 28-18 at halftime.
Post player Simon Rosenbaum scored 25 points to pace Los Altos (3-4 overall). Guard Bemi Onipede led the Eagles with 14 points a day earlier in a 52-38 win over Prospect. Guard Steven McLean, who tallied 16 points Thursday in Los Altos’ 53-51 opening-round loss to Mills. made the all-tournament team.
Pinewood recovered from a 44-22 third-quarter deficit to edge previously undefeated Berean Christian 57-56 Saturday in the John McMillan Classic final in Cloverdale.
Solomone Wolfgramm totaled 23 points, 14 rebounds and four assists for the Panthers (7-1) and Bradley Naumann took six charges in the second half.
Pinewood coach Jason Peery said his team’s half-court trapping defense changed the momentum of the game, stifling Berean Christian’s potent offense.
The Panthers’ first lead came with six seconds left in the game on a Cameron Helvey layup set up by Dante Fraioli’s steal.
Wolfgramm was named tournament MVP and fellow senior Helvey was voted to the all-tournament team.
Girls basketball
The Eagles finished fifth at their own tournament, posting a 2-1 record at the Los Altos High School Holiday Classic.
After opening with a 44-31 loss to Notre Dame-Belmont Thursday, the Eagles beat Mt. Pleasant 54-44 Friday and Homestead 47-40 Saturday to claim the consolation championship. Los Altos forward Lauren Amorese made the all-tournament team.
Mountain View went 1-2 at last week’s Terra Nova Tournament. The Spartans’ win, 44-43 over Castilleja, came Friday.
Mountain View (3-3) opened the tournament by losing 65-40 to St. Francis.
The Lancers went 2-1 in the tourney, falling 62-53 to the host team before routing Menlo-Atherton 48-31. Jenna Thompson scored 13 points and Kate Hoey 11 for St. Francis (6-1) Saturday.
