The boys soccer team ended a hard-fought game against the Hillsdale Knights in a 0-0 draw on Wednesday night. The game determined who would take first place in the league. Although no goals were scored, both teams battled hard, and the game was jam-packed with action.
After Hillsdale kicked off to begin the game, they immediately gave up possession after losing the ball out of bounds. However, the Knights quickly regained possession and fired off the first shot of the game four minutes into the first half, but junior goalkeeper Torrey Franz effortlessly blocked it.
Junior defender Finn Doherty forced numerous turnovers with tight defense. The Bears continued to push the pace, taking multiple shots on goal, but failed to get past the goalkeeper. Senior defender Pietro Veccheirelli applied additional pressure on the Knights, forcing turnovers and loss of position on the field.
After a defensive slip by Hillsdale, senior forward Nico Lanza weaved his way into Knight territory, but was unable to convert for a goal. Even so, the Bears continued to overpower the Knights’ defense, staying on their side of the field for the majority of the first half.
After eventually gaining back possession at the 13-minute mark, Hillsdale sent a corner kick out of bounds. Immediately after, a yellow card on the Bears granted the Knights a penalty kick, but they were unable to score and sent the ball straight into the goalkeeper’s hands.
Control of the ball went back and forth until the 20-minute mark, creating tension as to which team would be the first to score. The Bears found themselves back on offense with shots on goal by Doherty and senior forward Tomer Jacobs.
“I think it was a tough game. Honestly, more of a WWE match with how they were fouling us and stuff,” senior midfielder Saleem Hamzawi said.
Towards the end of the half, the Bears fired multiple long-range shots, but none were successful in penetrating the goalkeeper’s defense. Jacobs was nearly successful, but a difficult save by the Knights’ goalkeeper was made at the 26-minute mark.
The half ended with lots of shifts in momentum, demonstrating no clear domination from either team.
The second half began with a kickoff from junior Elliot Keighery, leading into an aggressive M-A offensive push. However, it was short-lived, as Hillsdale regained ground and quickly positioned themselves for a shot on goal. Franz deftly blocked the attempt, and soon the battle in the midfield resumed.
A yellow card against the Bears just a couple minutes into the half briefly halted play, and when it resumed, the Knights took control, keeping the action primarily in M-A’s half of the field.
Despite Hillsdale’s hold on the game, the Bears’ defense was ironclad. Growing impatient, the Knights fired off a shot that soared high above the crossbar. An altercation between the two teams ensued, eliciting protest from the parents in the stands.
Soon, it became clear that M-A was regaining confidence. Hillsdale’s defensive pressure remained strong, but the Bears mounted a serious push into Knight territory with 20 minutes left on the clock, marking a turning of the tide. Minutes of intense passing near the Hillsdale goal culminated in a desperate shot from M-A at the 16-minute mark that skirted just past the goal.
Despite the near miss, the Bears drew a penalty kick that was snagged by the Knights’ goalkeeper. Junior midfielder Louis Koide returned the ball to play, and the Bears soon found themselves on the defensive once again. Despite an accurate throw-in from Lanza, Hillsdale took possession and drove into M-A territory once again as spectators watched from the edges of their seats.
“We had good defense, keeping them shut out, but we definitely need to work on our offense and put some more goals away,” Keighery said.
As the clock ticked down, the Knights took a penalty kick, which glanced off the crossbar. Hillsdale kept the intensity high, making another shot on goal. But the Bears’ lockdown defense kept the Knights at bay. With just two minutes left in the match, Hillsdale took yet another errant penalty kick, and M-A passed the ball back downfield for one final offensive rally.
Despite the Bears’ expertly coordinated kicks, the whistle blew, and the scoreboard remained 0-0.
“Honestly, [the game] wasn’t that great. We played pretty sloppy. The score shows that,” senior defender Nolan Kanevsky said. “Hopefully, we can beat them next time and be first.”
M-A will make the trip to South San Francisco to face off against the Warriors on Friday at 4:30 p.m.
