SHP boys motivated to beat Menlo in a big soccer showdown

Matt Dodge has used various tools over the years to motivate his Sacred Heart Prep boys’ soccer team. A few years ago, he promised his players they could shave his head if they won the Central Coast Section Division III title.

The Gators responded to the challenge and gave Dodge a nice-looking Mohawk haircut right after the title-winning match.

On Friday, Dodge didn’t need any such motivation for his players. The Gators were facing neighborhood rival Menlo for the first time ever in boys’ soccer and plenty was at stake -– first place in the West Bay Athletic League.

“Intensity-wise, we were up for it,” Dodge said.

After a scoreless first half, Sacred Heart Prep exploded for three goals in the first five minutes of the second half and held on for a very big 3-2 victory over host Menlo. The Gators held on to first place in the WBAL at 6-2 (7-7 overall) while the Knights fell off the pace a bit at 4-1-2 (7-3-3).

Sacred Heart prep senior Ben Taylor scored two goals with Victor Ojeda adding one. Menlo charged back from a 3-0 deficit with Vikram Padval and Charles Le Moullac scoring. Joe Pinsker assisted on both goals.

After a scoreless first half where both teams battled at midfield before the Gators began attacking late, SHP shocked host Menlo to open the second half. Taylor scored in the first minute and Ojeda just two minutes later. By the time the celebration had died down following those two goals, Taylor had broken free again for a 3-0 lead.

“When it rains, it pours,” Dodge said to his players.

Menlo coach Gilles Scott could only shake his head at the offensive explosion by SHP.

“We just had five minutes there where we didn’t play very well,” Scott said. “The last 25 minutes was much better, and I told the boys that.”

While Sacred Heart Prep’s 3-0 lead looked very safe, the Knights knew they had nothing to lose at that point and stepped up their game. The Gators, meanwhile, decided against pulling everyone back on defense with so much time left in the match.

“Do we hunker down with a 3-0 lead? Dodge said later. The answer was no. “Anything can happen in soccer.”

So both teams stayed on the attack. Menlo finally broke into the scoring column when Padval scored with under 26 minutes to play. That seemed to fire up the Knights, who got a goal from Le Moullac less than 10 minutes later.

With the match in injury time, Menlo sophomore Cristian Fajardo got open in front of the SHP goal and fired a shot just over the top of the cage. Just moments later, Menlo had one final opportunity on a corner kick, but a shot was wide left and Sacred Heart’s hold on first place was safe for another day.

Both teams showed aggressiveness and ball skills, something needed to survive in the new WBAL that offers a challenge every time out.

“You have to be ready for every game,” said Dodge, whose team played in a weaker Private Schools Athletic League last season during the fall. The Gators not only have moved into the winter, but stepped up in class.

Dodge loaded his schedule early with tougher competition, not realizing how many players would be coming out late from fall sports. The Gators opened 0-4 against the likes of Valley Christian, Terra Nova, Sequoia and San Mateo before finally beating Sacred Heart Cathedral on Dec. 4.

Friday’s match marked the halfway point in the WBAL season. The Gators open the second half next Friday against visiting Priory, one of two teams to beat the Gators in league play. Menlo will visit SHP on the final day of the regular season, setting up a potential winner-take-all game that day.

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