The girls soccer team beat the Hillsdale Knights 2-0 on Tuesday evening.
M-A started the game with possession, but lost it quickly. After taking control of the ball, the Knights broke through the Bears’ half. M-A’s defense was there to resist Hillsdale’s attempts, utilizing great teamwork.
Four minutes into the half, senior winger Elise Koo and senior center forward Mae Kunihiro crushed the Knights’ offense by pressuring them, allowing the Bears to take the ball and dribble it upfield. Soon after, Koo tried for a shot but was blocked by the Knights’ defense, which allowed Hillsdale to regain possession.
For the next six minutes, the Bears faced off against the Knights in defensive play. Junior defender Juliana Pandolfo and senior midfielder Alex Alvarado skillfully blocked a free kick with 28 minutes left in the half, slowing down Hillsdale’s relentless attacks.
The Bears’ success didn’t stop there. Thanks to senior midfielder Sammy Ruiz’s extraordinary defensive efforts, the Knights were overwhelmed with pressure and turned possession back to M-A.
A quick turnover from the Bears gave the ball back to Hillsdale, and with a volley of passes, the Knights were able to break through M-A’s defense, only to be stopped by sophomore goalkeeper Adeleine Soltys.
“I just felt confident. I felt like we were gonna win. I was never nervous,” Soltys said.
After Solty’s impressive save, M-A was ready to get revenge. However, a shot by Alvarado was once again blocked by Hillsdale. Still, the Bears continued to attack as senior center midfielder Maddie Bradley impressively dribbled the ball upfield with the assistance of Alvarado.
Entering the last 10 minutes of the half, M-A fought tenaciously, hungry for a goal. Junior center back Ella Badawi pulled off an incredible steal and found senior defender June Wagner with a coordinated pass that allowed Wagner to take a shot. The attempt was swiftly blocked by the Knights’ goalkeeper, ending the half tied 0-0.
The Bears began the second half strong and full of renewed energy. Hillsdale started with possession, but M-A immediately stole the ball and dribbled it upfield, but a quick shot from Alvarado missed long.The Bears refused to give up possession or ground. Rock-solid defense by the Bears halted numerous attacks by the Knights, sending the ball up for M-A to take advantage of Hillsdale’s disjointed defense.
Sophomore forward Cassidy Thomas was all over the attack, bullying the Knights’ defense and recovering missed shots to continue M-A’s possession. With 36 minutes to go, freshman outside back Emma Holtz rocketed the ball from outside the box, sailing it over the goalkeeper’s head to sink into the back net and give the Bears a 1-0 lead.
The Bears’ momentum persisted, staying in total control. The team pounded the opposing goal with shot attempts, and Ruiz kicked the ball, barely missing. 10 minutes in, a throw-in from the left connected with Alvarado, who blasted a powerful shot into the goal, bringing the Bears’ lead to 2-0.
“I knew it was my only opportunity to kick.” Alvarado said, “If I took my time, the defender was most likely going to block it, so I just shot it, and it went up, and I scored.”
The Knights finally got out of their half with a breakaway, but Holtz cleared it. Hillsdale started playing more aggressively as the end of the game approached, but the Bears’ defense and goalkeeper remained organized and ready.
The match intensified in the remaining five minutes as the Knights fought for a comeback. M-A matched the energy and took multiple shot attempts, but neither team scored. The final score was 2-0, a win for the Bears.
“We’re all starting to learn each other’s strengths and working really as a team,” Bradley said.
The Bears will face off next against the Woodside Wildcats at home on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.
