The boys soccer team fell short against the Carlmont Scots in a nail-biting match on Monday night. After 83 minutes of tense back-and-forth play and multiple attempts on goal by both teams, Carlmont scored off a well-placed header, ending the game 1-0.
Senior captain and defender Nolan Kanevsky kicked off the game with a lofting upfield boot, inciting a forward attack for the Bears. Despite early offensive pressure from the M-A forwards, multiple challenges for the ball by Carlmont slowed the Bears down. As play shifted up and down the middle of the field, the Scots mostly maintained possession, thanks to their midfielders connecting a chain of multiple clean passes through the center.
Following a notable midair block by junior midfielder Elliot Keighery as the Scots fired towards the Bears’ goal, both teams attempted high intensity attacks down the sidelines. M-A’s defense put up a fight as Carlmont neared the goal in dangerous proximity.
Just three minutes after preventing a shot, the Bears’ aggressive push forward catalyzed a throw-in and free kick into the Scots’ penalty box, though both attempts were deflected by Carlmont’s defensive line. Possession continued to flip back and forth in the midfield until a strong give-and-go by the Scots allowed them to weave their way into the Bears’ half.
As Carlmont gained momentum and crossed the ball toward the Bears’ goal, junior goalkeeper Torrey Franz made a crucial jumping save to keep the game scoreless. Even so, the Scots raised the stakes, intercepting a subsequent goal kick just outside the penalty box and preparing for another shot on goal, before senior defender Pietro Veccheirelli and freshman defender Frank Lenihan shut it down.
In the last minutes of the second half, the Bears fought off further Carlmont aggression, with Kanevsky clearing the ball following a scramble of headers in front of the M-A goal. The Bears’ defense shielded two Carlmont shots that flew wide of the goal, allowing them to successfully keep the score even at 0-0 at halftime.
After play resumed, M-A worked to connect passes and stretch the Scots’ defense thin with their tactical spacing. However, Carlmont remained consistent on defense, retrieving the ball as M-A struggled to break through.
“I think we just need to connect more, especially in midfield. I think we lack there a bit and just [need to] get more attacks off, hold the ball a bit,” Lenihan said.
On a rapid Scots breakaway, Franz commandingly left the goal box to challenge the undefended forward, deflecting the powerful shot off his shinguards. Following a six-header rally back in midfield, M-A had to shift back to defense, forming a formidable wall as Carlmont was awarded a free kick just outside the penalty box. M-A intercepted the ball and pushed back out, but this left space for a dangerous three-on-one as the Scots found an opening through the Bears’ defensive line. With defense scrambling to get back and holding strong against the Scots, Franz once again retrieved the ball.
Carlmont, growing impatient, sent a shot far over the goal and soon after, nailed a low-driving ball from outside the penalty box that Franz stopped in a diving save. The tension to get on the scoreboard only rose in the next five minutes, leading to multiple fouls and free kicks between both teams.
Following a defensive deflection sent out of bounds by the Bears, the Scots took a corner kick with seven minutes to go. Through the scrum of players, a Carlmont attacker near the back of the goal box made contact with the lofting ball and headed it into the back of the net to put M-A in a 1-0 deficit.
After two minutes of frustrated booting following the goal, senior defender Alan Vail and junior defenders Finn Doherty and Vincent Alastalo gained composure in a string of passes around the back. Though the ball was soon intercepted by two Carlmont attackers going up against one M-A defender, the Bears sprinted to recover and deflected yet another dangerously close shot.
With some final fouls and an injury stoppage, the match closed out with M-A losing 1-0.
Looking forward, the Bears are seeking to improve their offense while building off of their defensive strength. “I think we definitely need some more movement up front. When we tried to build out, we were left with no options and kind of just had to kick it. So that’s something we need to work on,” Kanevsky said.
The Bears will travel to Burlingame to face the Panthers on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m.
