Sophomore attackman Austin Jenkin was named SLC DII player of the week for his career-high, 7 assist performance last week against Occidental College. Jenkin, who earned 1st Team All-Conference and All-Freshman honors following the 2014 campaign, looks to maintain his high-scoring ways alongside a revamped attack line including freshman Cade Vlacos (Foothill) and Adnan Swilley (San Marcos).
The article can be read here.
San Marcos traveled to Los Angeles on Saturday to take on the Occidental Tigers (2-2) in a rematch of last season’s 17-10 Cougar victory. Saturday’s contest turned out to be a much closer game, as the teams with back and forth for four quarters, with neither team scoring more than two goals unanswered until the final minutes of the contest
#27 Austin Halligan (Fr)
The Cougars went into halftime with a 5-4 lead on the back of big efforts from attackmen Austin Jenkin (So) and Adnan Swilley (Fr), who worked in tandem to have a hand in four of the Cougars’ five first-half tallies. The second half did not prove any more effective in identifying a superior team, as the teams went blow for blow until a 9-9 tie was broken late in the 4th.
#23 Austin Jenkin (So)
Austin Jenkin answered the Tigers’ tying goal immediately, with an outstanding individual effort to give the Cougars a late advantage. San Marcos scored two more unanswered goals to take a 12-9 lead, and held on to win the game 12-10. The Cougars will play their 2nd divisional game of the season when they take on the UC Irvine Anteaters (1-4) at Fallbrook High School on Sunday, March 1st.
The Banana Slugs of UC Santa Cruz visited San Marcos on Saturday to play the final contest of the Cougars’ three-game home stand. Coming off a win last weekend against Saint Mary’s, San Marcos rode a wave of momentum into a big game against another strong WCLL opponent.
Midfielder Ian Hooks (Sr) got the scoring kicked off early in the 1st with an isolation drive from the restraining line. The Banana Slugs answered quickly however, and kept the game close throughout the opening quarter. The game broke open in the 2nd, when the Banana Slugs were penalized for an illegal stick. The Cougars took advantage, scoring 3 unanswered goals on man-up and taking a 9-5 lead into halftime.
San Marcos came out flat in the 3rd quarter, allowing five goals to Santa Cruz while only scoring one. A 10-10 score at the start of the fourth set the stage for a fantastic finish.
#11 James Delaney (Sr) brings the Cougars within one late in the 4th
The Slugs took an 11-10 lead with a goal early in the 4th, and maintained that lead into the late stages of the game. The Cougars found themselves man-down with four minutes to go when Santa Cruz scored an insurance goal, seemingly putting the game away up by two with just over three minutes to play. Following a defensive stand as the clock passed the 2:30 mark, senior LSM James Delaney picked up a groundball and charged down the field in transition. Knowing he had attackmen to back up the shot, Delaney fired from just inside the restraining box and scored on a beautiful bouncer to the top-shelf.
With momentum they hadn’t seen since the 2nd, the Cougars looked again to freshman midfielder Iain Holman to make a play. Taking the face-off with 2:14 to go, Holman won the ball and took it to the cage himself, scoring from the doorstep and tying the game up with 1:57 to go in regulation.
The Banana Slugs made a big mental mistake moments after the Cougars tied the game, committing a delay of game penalty and giving San Marcos a 30-second man advantage with 1:47 left. The Cougars took advantage again, as attackman Cade Vlacos (Fr) scored the game-winning goal on a drive from behind the cage with 1:21 remaining.
#2 Iain Holman (Fr) ties the game at 12
“It was a total team effort. We dug ourselves a bit of a hole, but I think everyone felt like we were going to pull it out. We got it together just in time and everyone did their part.” Midfielder Iain Holman stated after the game. San Marcos will take to the road this weekend, as they travel to Los Angeles to face Occidental (2-1) on Saturday, February 21st.
The Cougars played host to the Gaels of Saint Mary’s on Sunday afternoon, a rematch of last season’s tight contest which saw the Gaels come out victorious, 18-17. San Marcos was determined to make a statement in this important non-conference match up, and they made one in the form of a resounding, 17-12 win.
Saint Mary’s started the day off jumping in front with a quick goal, but the Cougars responded promptly. Scoring four goals in the first quarter, the San Marcos offense looked to continue where it left off after last week’s 19 goal performance against Long Beach. The Gaels were poised and ready to answer however, as they held the Cougars to just two tallies in the second quarter, taking a 6-6 tie into halftime.
#2 Iain Holman (Fr)
San Marcos came out firing to start the second half, scoring 6 in the third quarter and taking a 12-8 lead into the fourth. The output was sparked by outstanding efforts from midfielders Iain Holman (Fr) and Austin Halligan (Fr), who dominated play at the face-off “x” and provided consistent scoring opportunities for the San Marcos offense. “We were stoked to see the team come out of the break and bounce back after a rough second quarter. Being able to suppress our opponent’s momentum and bounce back was something we struggled to do consistently last year, and we are looking to make it more of a trend this season. Iain and Austin were real difference makers for us; they out-hustled everyone on the field and came up with some huge plays.” Coach Hicks said on Sunday evening, speaking about his team’s resiliency and effort.
The Cougars will take on another WCLL squad, the UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs, on Saturday, February 14th. The Slugs will be playing their first game of the 2015 season, coming off a 4-10 (3-3) campaign in 2014.
Cal State San Marcos opened the 2015 campaign with a 19-6 victory over Cal State Long Beach on Saturday.
After their first trip to the playoffs last season, the Cougars are poised and ready to make noise in the SLC again this year. With a talent-laden roster including a 12-man freshman class and 4 returning seniors, San Marcos looks to improve on the 2014 one-and-done postseason and make a run at the SLC DII championship.
San Marcos started off the day with their foot on the gas, and did not let off all afternoon. A revamped attack line featuring returning standout Austin Jenkin (Fallbrook HS) dominated the 49ers defense. Jenkin and freshman Clade Vlacos (Foothill HS) led in scoring with 7 points each, followed by Adnen Swilley (San Marcos HS) who added on 5 tallies to the young group’s total.
#8 Adnan Swilley (Fr)
“We have invested a lot of time in previous off-seasons recruiting the right guys in order to keep building this program. With the output we saw from them today, we’re only just beginning to see the dividends. I’m really excited about this season and the future of this program.” Coach Hicks said after the game on Saturday, when asked about his impressive freshman class.
It wasn’t all about the new weapons Coach Hicks has in his arsenal on Saturday. Senior LSM James Delaney (Mt. Carmel) looks to continue in his 4th and final season as an impact player in all facets of the game. Whether scooping up ground balls after face offs or creating turnovers and fast break opportunities, Delaney was all over the field on Saturday.
The Cougars continue their three-game home stand on Sunday, February 8th against Saint Marys of the WCLL. The two teams met last season in a tight game that saw the Gaels come out victorious, 18-17.