The boys soccer team bulldozed their way to a decisive 7-0 victory over the Terra Nova Tigers on Friday night, improving their record to 7-0-2 as they gear up to kick off league play.
From the get-go, M-A relentlessly attacked the Tigers’ defense with multiple shots on goal. While Terra Nova’s defense made a valiant effort at first, the Bears’ prolific offense proved too much to handle. Senior midfielder Pablo Martinez started the terrific offensive night by burying a shot into the bottom right corner, putting M-A up 1-0 with 34 minutes left to play.
The Bears continued to press, quickly adding another goal, this time from senior striker Nathan Thurlow who flicked in a corner kick from senior midfielder Yandel Hernandez, making it 2-0 just four minutes later.
M-A kept their foot on the gas as Thurlow beautifully faked out the Terra Nova goalkeeper after a smooth pass from Hernandez, and chipped in his second of four goals for the night. Thurlow added one more before halftime, as he was swiftly danced by Terra Nova’s defense and sent a strike into the back of the net, extending M-A’s lead to 4-0.
Unfortunately for the Tigers, the second half played out much the same way as the first. Thurlow punched in yet another goal, bringing the score to 5-0.
It wasn’t all doom and gloom for the Tigers, though, as their goalkeeper made two notable and impressive saves on penalty kicks. These saves still weren’t enough to stop the Bears. M-A continued to pile before the end of regulation, with senior center back captain Noah de Haaff scoring a towering header off of a corner kick.
Finally, senior defender Manases Lara Alvarez pulled up from deep, finding the back of the net and sealing the final score at 7-0.
“Most of the guys on the team have been together for two or three years, and I feel like we really know each other and play as a team. It’s been a really supportive environment that has allowed everyone to come together and play at their best,” Thurlow said.
“We’re looking for a championship. We hope to keep winning, keep playing hard, and keep playing for each other,” de Haaff said.
The Bears now focus on opening league play against the Sequoia Ravens on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m.
