Anaheim, CA:
The Lady Oaks rolled off their fifth straight victory, on Friday, opening their two match southern California road trip with a 4-1 victory over Bethesda University of California. Two second half goals by sophomore Amanda Martinez gave Menlo some breathing room, as the Oaks turned a 2-1 halftime advantage into the eventual 4-1 final. The win pushes Menlo's overall record to 8-2.
"While we did not play our best game and struggled through some difficulties, we still found a way to put points on the board," Oaks Head Coach Scott Myers said, following his team's 4-1 showing. "18 players saw time on the field, so it was good to get them in the game and earn some valuable time in a live situation."
Menlo allowed the Flames just one shot on goal, a score from freshman midfielder Stacy Quintro 7:21 into the tilt to give Bethesda an early 1-0 lead. The Oaks would respond moments later, with a goal in the 15th minute by freshman Yasmeen Fuentes to deadlock the affair at 1-1. The Fuentes score was the first in her collegiate career.
Menlo would go on to take a 2-1 halftime advantage thanks to a Natalie Ingram net finder in the 39th minute, her team leading eighth score of the year. Junior midfielder Valerie Comstock was credited with the assist, the Santa Clara native's fourth of the season.
The second stanza was all about the aforementioned Amanda Martinez, who tallied two scores to put the match out of reach. The sophomore from San Mateo first found the back of the net in the 59th minute off a beautiful ball from freshman Raquel DeJesus, and then doubled up her second half production with a goal in the 82nd minute on a pass from senior Kristina Roome. Martinez now has four goals in the 2012 campaign.
The Lady Oaks will close out their two-match road swing this Sunday (Sep. 30) with a matchup against Soka University. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00pm.
