The Mariners traveled to Napa for a difficult road match on Friday. They kicked off against the first place Storm and were up the task early, but over time the Mariners yielded three goals in an eventual 3-0 loss to the home team. The Mariners task was further complicated by the absence of their first team goalkeeper as Anthony De Leon was deputized for the match.
Marin started off strongly with a couple of solid opportunities but they were unable to truly threaten the Napa Valley goal. Marin's Joseph Ndungu and Jason De Leon both had shots on target for the Mariners but they were unsuccessful in beating the keeper.
Napa found the breakthrough and added a pair more, but the Mariners did not give up, continuing to fight through the final whistle.
Anthony De Leon did a solid job in goal, allowing a trio of goals, but he also managed to save seven additional Napa Valley shots. If not for his performance, the result could have been much more lopsided.
"I loved the effort and attitude of the team today. We played a tough Napa Valley team that showed a little more quality in the final third getting three goals, but we competed hard and the players did everything we asked of them. The results may not be showing in the scores, but I feel good about where we are and the positive steps the team is taking forward," said Coach Michael Crivello.
The Mariners' record sits at 1-5-3 and 0-2-1 in Bay Valley Conference play. Next up for the Mariners is a Tuesday, October 10th match at home against Merritt College.