A single point is what is keeping the Ohlone Men’s Soccer team from qualifying for the postseason for the first time in a long time. The only archives that keep track of team’s records only has information as far back as 2004, a time when the team didn’t have much of a positive culture. Fast-forward to now, the Renegades have beat up on the teams it’s supposed to beat up on and won tough games against the more competitive teams. Tuesday afternoon when they hosted Chabot College, who is having a down year after a good run last season, they continued their winning ways, coming away with a 6-2 victory. The win is the first time Ohlone has not lost against their rivals since the 2005 season when they ended in a 1-1 tie. “We realize we have the potential to get to the finals,” Head Coach Jan Eric Nordmo said. “So we set goals higher than just winning a few more games than last season.” The Renegades have struggled at times this season with the possession game. Though they like to line up in a 4-3-3 formation: four defenders, three midfielders and three forwards, as the game goes on the Renegades shift to a more centralized 3-5-2 scheme. There have been games where they would transition to that scheme and would run into trouble with some teams because of their lack of ball control in comparison to better teams. Against Chabot, Ohlone kept the possession it relies on in a 3-5-2 formation. The first goal didn’t result from the scheme Ohlone runs, but rather a corner kick. Pierre Bruggeman sent a corner kick to the far post and found George Mayer II for the first goal. Bruggeman set up the Renegades’ next goal in the 39th minute. He received a pass from the defense and one-touched a pass to the middle, finding Jonathan “Cookie” Santillam at the mid-field circle rushing past the Chabot midfielders. Santillam then sent a pass up-field to Mayer, who was on a 1-on-1 breakaway with the keeper and found the back of the net for his second score.Just before the first half finished, Renegade midfielder Brandon Garcia, easily the fastest player on the team, darted past three Chabot defenders through the center of the field. Then, seeing a passing lane, found Mayer for the breakaway score.
Daniel Galloway scored two goals in the second half and the final Ohlone goal was scored by Diego Montantes. Ohlone had a few slip-ups late in the second half, allowing Chabot to score two and avoid the shutout.
“Their defense was locking down very good, they had speed,” Chabot forward Andres Ponce said. Ponce played for Chabot last season and was a part of the 8-3 win in last season’s meeting between the teams. Ponce scored one goal against Ohlone Tuesday. “This year’s team is more disciplined. Last year they looked like recreational players,” said Ponce. “We might give up lots of opportunities on defense, but in the end we don’t give up a lot of goals,” Nordmo said. Ohlone’s final three games are against top teams in the region starting with Foothill College this Friday. Tuesday they host City College of San Francisco.
By Tomás Ortega
Staff writer
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