It took a little over 15 minutes after the girls soccer game against for the Mt. View squad to get a bit of good news over the phone.
Los Gatos had been defeated.
The Santa Clara Valley Athletic League De Anza Division girls soccer title race came down to the final day of the regular season.
A 2-1 victory over second place gave the Mountain View High girls soccer team the regular season De Anza crown. A Wildcats win would have shot them into the top spot at the 11th hour.
It was that type of year playing in the rugged landscape of the De Anza.
The top SCVAL league boasted five teams that qualified for the Central Coast Section playoffs, including league champion Mt. View.
Los Gatos,, Gunn and -Cupertino also duked it out in the postseason.
“We didn’t win the games we need to down the stretch,” Mt. View senior forward Kirsten Belinsky said about her teams nail biter ride to the final day of the regular season. “When we heard Gunn upset Los Gatos, it was just crazy.”
During a season where it seemed like any team could rise up to topple the next, nothing reflected the eye-catching league parody more than when the SCVAL De Anza division season awards were announced earlier this month.
Several different schools were represented in the awards, topped by Los Gatos High senior striker Brianne Medved, who earned Most Valuable Player honors for the 2011 league season.
Medved scored 14 goals and dished out 10 assists during the ‘Cats 13-4-6 season.
“She’s very strong and has really great shots,” Belinsky said of the Cats top forward. “She can rattle off a shot pretty much from where ever.”
Belinsky and Medved play together in the off-season on the De Anza Force, a local club team. The Mt. View senior was a key cog in the Spartans run to the Division I CCS Girls Soccer Championship Game.
Belinsky earned Senior of the Year honors this season.
“It meant a lot to receive the award,” Belinsky said. “Especially because I know the other coaches in the league voted on it.”
The Offensive MVP award went to Emily Andrew of Mt. View. Andrew, Belinsky and Tavi Crum formed a deadly trio that helped their team snatch up 15 wins in the regular season before advancing to the CCS Title Game.
Mt. View lost 2-1 to St. Francis High-Mountain View at Valley Christian on March 5.
Sandra Ley of Monta Vista High was named Defensive MVP and Alex Kershner of Palo Alto High won Goalie of the Year.
Kershner will play for Duke University next fall.
“Winning goalkeeper of the year in this league is a tremendous honor,” Kershner said. “With so many other great keepers and players alike, it means a lot to be considered for this award. I have tried and worked my hardest every year and to be recognized for my efforts as I get ready to graduate from the Paly Soccer community means the world to me.”
Although Palo Alto didn’t make the playoffs, the net minder still left her mark on the league title race.
Paly tied Mt. View 0-0 on the final day of the regular season, forcing the eventual league champs to secure some help from Gunn in order to claim the league crown.
Kershner ended her career at Paly with a shutout and will bring her talents to the East Coast when her soccer career heads to the collegiate level in the fall.
“Duke is my dream school and I feel so honored to get to play the game I love at such a wonderful university,” Kershner said. “I feel incredibly lucky to have found a team with amazing girls, coaches, and unmatchable competition.”
The balance continued rounding out the top awards. Los Altos keeper Chita Maldonado won Junior of the Year, Caitlyn Wong of -Cupertino was named Sophomore of the Year and Sarah Robinson of Gunn was tabbed Freshman of the Year.
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First Team
MVP Brianne Medved, Los Gatos
MVP Defense Sandra Ley, Monta Vista
MVP Offense, Emily Andrew, Mountain View
MVP Goalkeeper, Alex Kershner, Palo Alto
Senior of the Year, Kirsten Belinsky Mountain View
Junior of the Year, Chita Maldonado, Los Altos
Sophomore, Caitlyn Wong, Homestead
Freshman, Sarah Robinson, Gunn
First Team Continued….
Cheryl Tom, Monta Vista
Zohar Liebermensch Monta Vista
Mimi Akaogi, Monta Vista
Gracie Cain, Palo Alto
Helen Butler, Palo Alto
Erica Higa, Mountain View
Allie Gamble, Mountain View
Emma Donckels, Mountain View
Sarah Benett, Mountain View
Elizabeth Brown, Mountain View
Meghan McCafferty, Monta Vista
Heather Rouhier, Los Gatos
Chloe Mason, Los Gatos
Megan Fee, Los Gatos
Mariah Cleveland, Los Gatos
Holly McKenna, Gunn
Alyssa Perrealt, Gunn
Hannah Moehling, Los Altos
Sasha Pchenitchnikova, Los Altos
Sydney Carr, Los Altos
