MIDDLETOWN — In a game they desperately needed to win to remain within striking distance of league leader Roseland University Prep atop the North Central League I girls soccer standings, the Middletown Mustangs had to settle for a 2-2 tie with the St. Helena Saints on Tuesday afternoon in Middletown.
Middletown (8-1-1 league, 9-2-1 overall), the 12-time defending league champion and reigning North Coast Section Division I champion, entered play trailing undefeated RUP (10-0, 11-0) by one game in the loss column. That deficit is now 1½ games with only four remaining for both teams, including an Oct. 21 showdown in Middletown on the final day of the regular season. RUP, which had a bye on Tuesday, also has a game remaining against St. Helena.
St. Helena, a 3-2 loser to Middletown on Sept. 2 in St. Helena, scored the only goal of the first half. It wasn’t until early in the second half that the Mustangs answered on an unassisted goal from forward Paige Astley.
A rapid exchange of goals followed. St. Helena moved ahead 2-1 only to find itself back in a 2-2 tie just minutes later when Astley scored a second unassisted goal.
Middletown dominated the time remaining, taking 10 shots on goal.
“We could not stick one in,” said Middletown head coach Ashley Hart, who was unhappy with the final result.
“I take it as a loss,” Hart said. “I don’t know what’s in their mindset,” she added of her players. “They tell me they’re nervous but there’s nothing to be nervous about. If you lose, what’s the worst thing that happens? You go to practice the next day. I tell them to just enjoy it. One day they’ll look back on this and wish they could play just one more game.”
St. Helena’s first goal came in the game’s first minute. The Saints’ second goal caught Middletown keeper Krystal Ocken out of position, according to Hart.
Although the Mustangs no longer control their own destiny as far as the league race is concerned, Hart said they simply need to concentrate on winning their final four games and see how things shake out with the RUP-St. Helena game on Oct. 19 in Santa Rosa.
“We need to win out,” Hart said.
Only one official instead of the usual two worked the game, according to Hart.
“It got pretty physical, the girls were getting beat up,” Hart said. “There were a lot of calls missed.”
In other girls soccer action Tuesday:
Upper Lake 11, Tomales 0
At Upper Lake, coming off a 2-2 tie against a tough Credo squad last Friday, the Cougars improved to 4-0-1 in league play and 11-2-2 overall with a lopsided victory over the Tomales Braves.
Credo and Upper Lake are both undefeated with one tie in league play and unless either team is upset in the next couple of weeks, their Oct. 27 meeting in Upper Lake, which is the final league game for both teams, will likely decide the NCL II championship.
Upper Lake got off to a bit of a sluggish start against Tomales but still had a 3-0 lead by halftime.
The cooler weather may have been a contributing factor, according to Upper Lake head coach Daniella Santana.
“The girls said it was cold,” Santana said. “It was the coolest game we’ve played in this season, the first time the temperature hasn’t been in the 90s.”
Upper Lake had warmed up plenty by the second half and went on to score eight more times.
Senior forward Karlee Zimmerschied once again led the way, this time with a double hat trick of six goals — two in the first half and four more in the second. She now has 95 career goals in her third season with the Cougars after losing all of last year to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Karlee kind of sparked us,” Santana said.
Ruby Wurm added two more goals while Ashlyn Rhodes, Paige Pruett and Vanessa Becerra-Lopez each had one.
Nine different Cougars had at least one assist. Maddy Young had the most with two.
Wurm, a sophomore forward/midfielder, and Raquel Carrier, a freshman midfielder/defender, turned in strong performances, according to Santana.
“My young kids really played well,” Santana said.
Other standouts were forward/defense Becerra-Lopez and midfielder/forward Paige Pruett, both juniors.
“We controlled the ball for most of the game,” Santana said.
Upper Lake was without its starting keeper, freshman Kali Minnis, although her two replacements — Kate Noble in the first half and Aliyah Gozony in the second half —didn’t see much action.
“I think they (Braves) had two or three shots on goal,” Santana said.
Upper Lake plays Technology on Friday in Rohnert Park at 4:30 p.m.
Lower Lake 1, Willits 1 (tie)
At Willits, midfielder Alejandra Orozco scored her first goal of the season as the Lower Lake Trojans earned a draw with the Willits Wolverines in NCL I action.
The Trojans hit the road Thursday to play undefeated league leader Roseland University Prep in Santa Rosa.
