SANTA CRUZ — Two weeks ago, the Aptos High Mariners were handed their first bit of adversity since the 2013-14 season.
Their response to the early-season hiccup has been loud and confident.
“We really had to step it up if we wanted to win league,” said Aptos senior midfielder Monserrat Hernandez Marquez.
The Mariners are back in position to do just that.
After seeing their 41-match unbeaten streak against league opponents come to an abrupt end in a stunning loss to Soquel High earlier this month, Aptos has plowed its way back to the front of the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League with four dominant victories, including Tuesday night’s 3-1 result against host Santa Cruz High.
Hernandez Marquez found the back of the net for the 11th time this season in the 16th minute, and freshman forward Gisselle Vasquez blasted home a pair of goals in a span of four minutes during the final five moments of the opening half.
Santa Cruz converted a penalty kick two minutes after the intermission, but the four-time defending SCCAL champs continued to apply pressure with their seemingly endless amount of speedy forwards to cruise.
Since its loss to Soquel, Aptos has outscored its opponents 20-1.
“As soon as that game ended, they didn’t make any excuses — they were upset obviously — but they were looking forward to what they needed to work on,” said Aptos head coach Jessica Perkin. “They had to learn to deal with the disappointment and channeling it in a positive way. This league is a battle. It’s always going to be tight. [The loss] just showed us how much of a battle it’s going to be.”
With the victory, Aptos now leads the SCCAL at 5-1 — the Mariners are 7-3-2 overall.
Santa Cruz falls to third at 3-1-2.
Soquel’s loss to Scotts Valley High on Tuesday dropped the Knights to 4-2, allowing the Mariners to obtain sole possession of first place.
Aptos is set to host Soquel in the second half of its league slate on Feb. 1. But first the Mariners will have a full week off before hosting San Lorenzo Valley High on Tuesday.
“We definitely had a bump in the road, but we overcame that by getting back and playing our game,” Hernandez Marquez said.
Powered by NCAA Division I talents Hernandez Marquez (Cal Poly SLO), senior midfielder Paige Dueck (Santa Clara) and junior midfielder Olivia Meier (Binghamton University), the Mariners showcased several other weapons, new and old, throughout the night.
Up top, Perkin cycled through seniors Maya Pruett, Sophia Audisio and Marylu Escutia and juniors Bella McDaniel and Haley Veldhuis, keeping Santa Cruz’s backline busy from start to finish.
Defensively, junior keeper Caroline Miller snuffed out attacks before they ever began, and defenders Brynn Mitchell (Soph.), Chantal Aguirre (Fr.) and Grace Rothman (Sr.) eliminated any other runs that squeezed through.
Santa Cruz finished without a shot on goal.
“We really respect them, and I’m proud of how we were able to get the job done,” Perkin said. “We were aware of their key players, but we were trying to focus on what we can do to play our game.”
Vasquez, however, took the spotlight with her second goal, a blazing strike from 30-plus yards away that soared over the keeper’s extended arm and into the net.
“A win like this gives us confidence,” Vasquez said. “It gives us confidence for the next time that we play them.”
