The girls lacrosse team defeated the Woodside Wildcats 14-12 in the pouring rain on Wednesday evening.
M-A came out strong against the Wildcats, with senior attacker Lexi Nelson scoring within the first minute, but Woodside quickly responded to even the score. Despite solid defensive efforts by M-A, the Wildcats utilized their speed and strategic offense to take the lead.
A steal by senior midfielder EB Hoffman allowed her to drive the ball downfield, passing it to junior offender Ryland Caelius who ripped through the defenders and scored. Woodside continued to pressure M-A’s defense with quick and tactical positioning.
The Wildcats fired well-placed shots past sophomore goalkeeper Stella Mattson, allowing them to make two more goals in the last five minutes of the first quarter, ending with the Bears down 4-2.
M-A came out firing in the second quarter, determined to close the gap. Nelson struck fast with an early goal, sneaking through the Wildcats’ defenders with malicious speed. Seconds later, Hoffman intercepted a pass between the Wildcats’ defender and the goalkeeper, nailing in an 8-meter goal to tie the game 4-4.
Both teams traded goals in a relentless back-and-forth battle for control, with steals coming in rapid succession as players scrambled to get the ball downfield. Even though M-A had strong shot attempts blocked by the Wildcats’ goalkeeper, they refused to back down. In the final 14 seconds, Nelson threaded a shot into the side of the net, breaking the tie and the Bears pulling ahead 7-6.
Hoffman struck first to begin the third quarter, extending M-A’s lead to 8-6. A yellow card on junior defender Shelby Rider gave the Wildcats an opening, allowing them to sneak in a low shot in the goal and tighten the Bears’ lead to 8-7.
Nelson cornered for minutes as the Wildcats guarded each player to prevent the pass. But, M-A’s relentless offense broke through as junior midfielder Auden Jones stepped into play. Pushing through defenders, Jones wrapped around the goal to sink a shot into the net, making it 9-7.
The Bears kept the energy high and in the final moments of the quarter, Caelius made an incredible play sprinting in front of the goal to assist Hoffman, placing the Bears at a 12-7 lead.
Woodside kicked off the final quarter with a goal in the first 30 seconds, but M-A responded with a steal from sophomore defender Aryn Roodman, bringing the ball back to M-A’s offense. Mattson saved four shots from the Wildcats. In the final moments, a constant toggle between the ball ensued as Woodside pressed hard to make a comeback. But with little time left, M-A’s offense held firm, securing a hard-fought 14-12 victory.
“I think we were a little bit rough in the beginning, but we pulled it together pretty well in the second half,” Caelius said.
“I think the energy and the want to win was there,” Rider said. “Next time, we just need to keep our composure.”
The Bears will travel to play the Los Altos Eagles on Friday at 7 p.m.
