The boys soccer team fought to a gritty 1-1 tie against the Woodside Wildcats on Friday afternoon. Before kickoff, the Bears honored the seniors with a ceremony as friends and family joined them on the field to commemorate their last season on the team.
Seniors smile for photos. 
Senior Miguel Ruiz poses with his family. 
Senior Ryan Quiros smiles with family. 
Senior Pietro Veccheirelli smiles with parents. 
Senior Saleem Hamzawi poses with friends. 
Senior Diego Guerrero with friends and family. 
Senior Alan Vail poses for a picture. 
Senior Theo Leslie poses with friends and family. 
Senior Tomer Jacobs smiles with parents.
The energy from the ceremony translated immediately to the field as the Bears wasted no time establishing an offensive presence. Only three minutes into the game, senior forward Ryan Quiros capitalized on a rebound in the box, firing a clinical shot past the Woodside goalkeeper to put M-A up 1-0.
“Definitely the first goal [was my favorite part],” senior forward Nico Lanza said. “It was my teammate’s first goal of his senior year, so I’m super happy for him.”
The Bears faced an overload of offensive attempts on goal from Woodside, but M-A’s defensive line remained strong. Leading the way was senior defender Pietro Veccheirelli, who repeatedly stifled the Wildcats’ momentum with aggressive slide tackles in the box to protect the Bears’ narrow lead.
“My slides in the box [were my favorite part], that was crazy,” Veccheirelli said. “It was pretty good, but at the same time pretty risky.”
M-A kept up the intensity throughout the first half, maintaining pressure in midfield. Jacobs executed a high, scooped corner kick that rattled the Woodside backline, and senior midfielder Alan Vail nearly extended the lead with a powerful shot that sailed just over the crossbar with 31 minutes remaining in the half.
After missed attempts by the Wildcats and good defense from the Bears, Woodside became more desperate for a goal, and the physicality increased.
The Bears managed to withstand the Wildcats’ offensive efforts with help from a series of late blocks by junior defender Finn Doherty and junior midfielder Nicola Melani, giving M-A a 1-0 advantage heading into the break.
The second half began with back-and-forth play as both teams struggled to gain a definitive edge. For the first 15 minutes of the half, possession switched constantly in the midfield, with neither team finding any significant offensive success.
However, the game’s pace quickly intensified as Woodside began to push deeper into Bear territory, and after a strong run of remarkable M-A defense, the Wildcats were able to break through and tie the game, 1-1, with 17 minutes remaining.
Woodside’s rough style of play soon took a physical toll on the Bears’ roster. With only 12 minutes remaining, Lanza was forced to leave the field with an injury, and shortly after, Doherty also had to be helped off the field by teammates following a heavy collision.
Despite losing key players, the Bears’ defense, led by Alastalo and senior midfielder Theo Leslie, scrambled to stop late Woodside drives and keep the score even.
As the game entered its final seconds, the Wildcats earned one last corner kick. Junior midfielder Elliot Keighery skillfully cleared the ball with a decisive header, taking a hit to the face in the process to preserve the tie.
Junior goalkeeper Torry Franz remained alert until the final whistle, snagging a last-second Woodside attempt and solidifying the 1-1 draw.
Reflecting on the result, Veccheirelli noted the need to close out tight games. “Maybe win, like we’re tying like almost all the games,” he said.
The Bears will face off next against the Hillsdale Knights away on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m.
