Boys soccer: Tam tops San Rafael to take sole possession of first place

Tuesday’s match between the boys soccer teams from Tam and San Rafael High was billed as a battle for first place as the MCAL season enters the home stretch.

The Red-tailed Hawks went on the road, converted a pair of set-piece opportunities into goals and were able to make the big defensive plays when the Bulldogs responded immediately both times to see out a 2-1 victory.

“So we’ve always known we were supposed to be a top team, right?,” Tam center back Mateo Hale said. “We have the talent, we have the discipline, we have the work ethic, but to actually get a hard result, get it done, it means a lot because we know we can do it now. We’ve got Archie [Williams] and Redwood coming up, Branson as well, all tough opponents. .. It was great to establish that we can win these tough games, win these battles.”

The victory puts Tam (10-3-3, 4-0-1 MCAL) atop the standings on 13 points, two points clear of both Terra Linda and Archie Williams. San Rafael (8-3-6, 3-1-1) sits in fourth on 10 points.

The Red-tailed Hawks’ remaining three games are all against teams currently in position to make the playoffs – Redwood on Thursday, Branson early next week, then Archie Williams in what could be a title decider in the season finale.

“It was a huge three points,” Tam coach Shane Kennedy said. “I think for us it was just a very tough place to come and play a very good, well coached opponent. We know it’s going to be hard fought and for us to come in and win this game – with an eight-game season, we still have Redwood, we’ve got Branson and we’ve got Archie. This doesn’t guarantee us anything.”

Tam surged ahead in the 21st minute after being awarded a free kick just outside the far left corner of San Rafael’s 18-yard box. Kenneth Frost served a ball to the back post where Hale rose up and headed it home for a 1-0 lead.

“First game of the season, Kenneth got injured,” Hale said. “He strained his MCL. He got back for the beginning of the MCAL season – the first MCAL game was his first game back. I just want to say it’s a huge blessing to have him back because he’s really technical. He might not be the biggest guy but he makes up for it with his technicality and his soccer IQ. He can really deliver that service.”

Hale, one of Tam’s taller players, is a frequent target on set pieces in the final third.

“We played Novato and (Marin Catholic) last week … and I was on every corner and I got my head on every corner and I just could not find the back of the net,” Hale said. “So I’ve just really been wanting one and it was nice to finally get one in the back of the net.”

San Rafael carved out its best chance of the first half about a minute later on a corner kick. Tam goalie David Keane came off his line to clear the ball away but San Rafael persisted, serving the ball back into the box a couple more times. Cal Stewart fired a shot toward the back post but Buba Mane was well positioned and cleared the ball off the goal line.

“(Mane) was smart enough to get in behind the goalkeeper … and protect the line,” Kennedy said. “They hit it well. I thought it was going in but he was right there and he’s a technical player so he got a nice, clean foot on it to his credit. Big play, big moment because at 1-1, we might be in trouble.”

Tam doubled its advantage in the 61st minute after Frost served a corner kick into the 18-yard box. Mane took the first shot which deflected off a defender to Cole Soto, who fired the ball into the net to make it 2-0.

Again, San Rafael came up with an immediate response within about a minute. Dylan Maldonado tested Keane with a shot from distance and Keane went up high to parry the ball off the crossbar and out for a corner.

“That was a quick throw-in,” Hale said of San Rafael’s scoring opportunity. “They have ball boys for the community night … We weren’t necessarily used to that so the quick throw certainly helped. Then Dylan Maldonado – I used to play club with him, he’s a fantastic player, super shifty – he just crossed up one of our guys, got a shot on goal but David did well. It was a shot from deep but it was a good save.”

San Rafael kept pushing and finally climbed back into the game in the 79th minute when Joey Navarette was taken down on the left edge of the 18-yard box. The referee pointed to the spot, awarding San Rafael a penalty kick. Navarette took the kick himself and, although Keane got a hand to it, the shot hit off the inside of the right post and into the net to pull San Rafael within 2-1.

“We have a lot of respect for SR,” Hale said. “We know a lot of guys on the team. We knew they were going to be good so this week at practice it was locked down. There was no messing around, no coming late. Everyone’s drilling because on this team there’s a mentality. Everyone’s tapped in, everyone knows we can go far, win championships. I think we just put in the work and this week especially we knew we were coming into a tough game so we really prepped for it and it paid off.”

Around the county

• Archie Williams kept pace two points behind Tam for the league lead after a tougher-than-expected 1-0 win at Novato (0-6-1, 0-4-0) on Tuesday. Henry Miller scored the goal and goalie Aidan Dunn had a clean sheet for the Peregrine Falcons (9-3-3, 3-0-2).
• Mateo Trammel scored twice as Branson solidified its position in the race for the final MCAL playoff spot following a 4-0 victory at Marin Catholic (4-7-2, 0-5-1) on Tuesday. Larry Calle Labou scored in the sixth minute then Trammel in the 11th — assisted by Drew Holden and Jonah Sher, respectively — to give the Bulls a quick 2-0 lead. Trammel added a penalty kick in the 42nd minute then Cooper Little capped the scoring for the Bulls (5-4-2, 2-3-0) in the 60th minute off an assist by Jaya Breene. Branson is four points clear of seventh-place San Marin.
• Redwood scored twice after San Marin (0-9-5, 0-3-2) was reduced to 10 men as the Giants (5-4-4, 3-2-1) secured a 2-0 road win on Tuesday night.
• Marin Academy (2-8-5, 1-4-2 BCL West) fell 2-0 against archrival University on Tuesday.
• San Domenico (6-3-1, 3-3 BCL West) fell 3-2 against Making Waves Academy on Tuesday.