Photograph by Skye Dunlap

Los Gatos field hockey player Kim Christiansen battles for the ball in an early season win over Willow Glen. The Cats posted a 7-1-2 record to win the division title.

Lichte goals helps Gatos clinch field hockey title

By Dick Sparrer

When it comes to girls field hockey, Los Gatos has been a force to be reckoned with for a good many years in the Central Coast Section. And 1999 is no different.

Los Gatos earned yet another trip to the CCS playoffs by winning the championship in the rugged Mt. Hamilton Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League, and the Wildcats did it by edging longtime nemesis Lynbrook 1-0 last week.

Junior Rachel Lichte buried a first-half goal off an assist from Nikki Anderson, and the Cats made that stand up for a crucial win over the Vikings.

The win helped the Wildcats improve to 7-1-2 in division play. Gatos clinched the title by a slim half point, edging Prospect (6-1-3) for the crown.

It was a 1-1 tie against Prospect last week, following wins over Saratoga and Lynbrook, that pushed the Wildcats to the division championship.

Assists from Anita Reyes and Heather Kottmeier had set up Lichte for the lone goal in the important draw with the Panthers.

Los Gatos never did beat Prospect during league play. The Panthers stuck the Cats with their only league loss earlier in the year, winning 4-2 despite a pair of goals by Reyes.

But Gatos beat Willow Glen twice (1-0 on a goal by Anderson and 2-1 on goals by Reyes and Emily Scott) and Mitty twice and Saratoga twice. And the Cats beat and tied Lynbrook to offset the loss to Prospect.

Lichte and Reyes were the top scorers for the Cats in league play, and Anderson and Scott also figured in the goal-scoring.

Anderson, Reyes, Kottmeier and Cortney Kelly were assist leaders for Los Gatos during the league season.

The Wildcats will now turn their attention to the CCS playoffs, which are scheduled to begin Nov. 11.

Cats fall

Los Gatos singles star Alicia Hull and the doubles team of Anne Pearl and Arielle Perez made it to the quarter-finals of the De Anza Division tennis tournament before losing tough decisions last week.

Hull opened the tournament with a 6-3, 6-4 win over a St. Francis foe, but she lost a tough 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) nod to Amanda Wise of Saratoga in the quarters.

Pearl and Perez ripped a Palo Alto pair 6-1, 6-3 in the opening round of the tournament, but lost a tough one to a Gunn duo in the quarterfinals.

Cristy Green of Gatos lost 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 to a Gunn opponent in the first round.

Wildcat Wrap-Up

Michael Walleen pumped in five goals in two games, but the Los Gatos boys water polo team lost twice in its own Wildcats Wrap-Up Tournament last week.

Walleen drilled three goals, but the Cats lost 14-5 to Valhalla. Philip Roan and Bobby Crowder also scored goals in the loss.

Walleen came back with a couple of goals, but Gatos dropped a 12-4 nod to Menlo. Roan and Crowder added goals for the Cats.

Earlier in the week, Gatos dropped a 9-6 league decision to Los Altos. Walleen, Roan and Chris Dixon popped two goals each in the game. Gatos slipped to 3-3 in the De Anza Division with the loss, and the Wildcats are 15-11 for the year.

In recent girls water polo play, Los Gatos lost 9-4 to St. Francis despite a three-goal effort by Alix Eastman. Megan Greenwood also scored for the Cats.

Smith shoots 103

Jaime Smith of Los Gatos fired a 103 on the tough Rancho Cañada East Course in Carmel, but failed to qualify for the finals of the CCS girls golf tournament.

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