Panther Girls Soccer Leaves Everything on the Pitch in Loss to Antelope

The Benicia Panthers girls soccer team’s season is finished for this year.  In a physical game at Drolette Field on Thursday in the semi-finals of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III tournament the Lady Panthers played the Antelope Titans to a 0-0 tie after 80 minutes of regular time and two 10 minute overtime periods.

The match was ultimately decided on penalty kicks where Antelope prevailed 6-5.

The match was very physical from the start with warning given, but no yellow cards.  “There were a couple of blatant hands out (push offs with arms extended) and it was going both ways,” said Benicia coach Josh Bradley.  “It’s tough for a ref to try and dictate what’s going on when two teams are fighting so hard.”

The Vallejo Times-Herald reports that the Panthers are 2-2 in the finals of the Sac Joaquin Section against this years eventual winner Rio Americano.

During Tuesday’s victory against El Camino, Benicia striker Sarah Granato was able to use her speed and ball handling abilities to move the ball down the sideline.  The Titans didn’t let that happen.  “They played a very interesting system where they boxed in with four backs on Granato,” said Bradley.  “That’s why I moved Gugliotti out to the edge to try and free her up.”

They had obviously scouted us because they knew exactly what was going on,” said Bradley.

The coach was generally pleased with the match and and has high hopes for next year’s squad.  “My back line is all sophomores, which stopped them today 0-0, my micfield is all sophomores and juniors and my two up front are a freshman and a junior,” said Bradley.  “We’ll be back.”

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If there’s something in this article you think should be corrected, or if something else is amiss, call editor JB Davis at 707-628-0051 or email him at benicia@patch.com.