Coast Union girls soccer team bested by Morro Bay High, 4-2

After Coast Union High School sophomore standout Martha Gomez scored a hat trick to propel the Lady Broncos past Templeton 3-2 on Dec. 1, Gomez picked up a pair of goals against Morro Bay High School in an away match for Coast on Dec. 3.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough, as the Pirates downed Coast Union 4-2.

Head coach Jack Mettier said that Morro Bay’s players were “very tough competitors,” and given that Morro Bay High School is five times the size of Coast Union, he has “no problem being beaten by a better team,” so long as his players are continuing to compete and improve.

One of those “tough competitors” on the Pirates’ soccer team was Emma Hotaling, a sophomore who scored three of Morro Bay’s four goals. Mettier has known Hotaling since she was a “little child.” She played soccer with Mettier’s daughter and is “absolutely an amazing player” who was invited to play in the Olympic Development Program.

Mettier said one of his “major” varsity players, first-year Ailyn Casas, suffered a muscle pull in the Morro Bay game, but the injury isn’t expected to keep Casas off the field long-term, the coach said.

As for his team’s development, “It’s still a growing process,” Mettier explained. “They are still getting used to me” after having head coach Tamara Corbett for four years. “They’re learning to trust me, and I am learning to trust them, and it’s just a good growth process.”

Overall, Mettier says he expects the team to have “a very good season.”

The team hosted Orcutt Academy on Dec. 8.

This story was originally published December 10, 2015 at 2:19 PM with the headline "Coast Union girls soccer team bested by Morro Bay High, 4-2."