The girls soccer team pulled off a thrilling comeback against the Sequoia Ravens on Tuesday afternoon. After overturning a 3-0 deficit in the last 30 minutes, the Bears secured a stunning 4-3 victory.
Sequoia started off strong, taking advantage of early shooting opportunities. After two prior attempts, the Ravens finally broke through on their third on-target shot. Sequoia’s forward chipped an overhead goal that soared just out of junior goalkeeper Elise Koo’s reach, putting the Ravens ahead 1-0 early in the game.
Midway through the first half, the Ravens capitalized on a throw ball, doubling their lead with a well-placed shot into the bottom corner of the net. By halftime, Sequoia had a 2-0 lead, leaving the Bears trailing behind.
Despite the scoreline, the Bears displayed unwavering effort throughout the first half. Senior Alexandra Alvarado and sophomore Stella Hall both played pivotal roles in keeping the pressure on Sequoia’s defense, taking shots that only narrowly missed the goal.
The Bears’ efforts culminated in what seemed to be a breakthrough when freshmen Cassidy Thomas slotted the ball into the back of the net, only for the goal to be disallowed due to an offside call, adding to the tension as halftime approached.
“We knew we had to regroup at halftime,” sophomore Atessa Gholamy said. “2-0 is the worst score to be at halftime because it is still anyone’s game. Coach reminded us to stay aggressive on offense and pointed out the other team’s weakness.”
The Bears returned in the second half with determination and tenacity, but despite a strong defensive effort, the Ravens managed to score on a well-timed header 32 minutes in, extending their lead to 3-0.
“When they scored their third goal, instead of shutting down and putting our heads down, we went harder,” Gholamy said.
M-A refused to back down: sophomore Akimi Jespersen delivered a stunning free kick with 30 minutes left, sending the ball soaring past Sequoia’s goalkeeper and hitting the top left corner of the net.
The Bears continued to attack offensively as they gained possession with 21 minutes remaining in the match, when a Sequoia player kicked the ball out of bounds. Thomas executed an impressive long throw-in to Jespersen, who controlled the ball skillfully. Jespersen then dribbled past two defenders and found herself in a one-on-one matchup with the goalkeeper. She confidently sent the ball to the far left corner and scored the second goal for M-A.
“With Akimi’s first two goals, it felt like a switch flipped for the whole team,” Gholamy said. “We started playing with a different energy, and you could tell everyone believed we could come back.”
With newfound momentum on their side, M-A’s offense continued to dominate, maintaining greater possession of the ball and showcasing exceptional teamwork.
Hall skillfully intercepted a clearance from Sequoia’s defense, maneuvering past two defenders before finding the back of the net, leveling the game at 3-3 with just 15 minutes remaining.
The celebrations had barely subsided when the Bears struck again, determined to complete their remarkable comeback. With 14 minutes left on the clock, senior Alexandra Alvarado received a corner from junior Sam Shirley. Alvarado weaved past multiple defenders before delivering a powerful kick into the back of the net, sealing M-A’s 4-3 victory.
“We are a really young team, and I am so excited to see where we go from here,” Jespersen said.
M-A will return to the field to play against the Woodside Wildcats next Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
