On Tuesday afternoon, the girls soccer team fell 1-0 against the Sacred Heart Gators in their first game of the season.
The game kicked off with the Gators in possession, and they quickly put pressure on the Bears’ defense.
The Bears responded, moving the ball around and taking several shots at the goal, but were continuously blocked by the Gators’ goalkeeper. The Bears maintained their momentum by moving forward with aggressive offensive, providing M-A with another attack at the goal, but the shot was just wide with 27 minutes left in the first half.
The Gators responded with numerous missed attempts at the goal, but junior goalkeeper Elise Koo made two clutch saves to keep the match 0-0. Though the ball stayed in the Gators’ possession, the Bears’ defense held them back.
After many back-and-forth possessions, the Gators found their first goal of the game with five minutes remaining in the first half. M-A continued to bring the intensity, with juniors Mae Kunihiro and Alexandra Alvarado making skillful interceptions with 1:30 left in the first half.
With the clock ticking, freshman Sydney Cox stole the ball from a Gator and surged into Sacred Heart territory, only to be stopped as the first half came to a close with the Bears down 1-0.
M-A started the second half ready to bounce back, playing with a new-found urgency to tie up the game. The Bears moved the ball around looking for an open opportunity but were unable to find a chance for a goal. With 34 minutes remaining, Kunihiro drew a free kick but was unable to capitalize off it.
“We played a different formation from last year, so we didn’t really know what was going to happen, but we adjusted really well,” Kunihiro said.
Sophomore Stella Hall took hold of the ball numerous times giving M-A opportunities to attack, but the Gators’ defense was strong. The Bears’ defense held up strong as senior Alessia Bolanos delivered a decisive block that stopped a Sacred Heart attack.
Koo anchored the Bears’ defense, with impressive diving saves to deny the Gators a goal and keep the game within reach for the Bears. With 2:30 on the clock, sophomore Atessa Gholamy had a free kick that missed the goal just above the crossbar.
As the game came to a close, M-A continued to prevent the Gators from scoring but were unable to convert. The final whistle blew with the Gators winning 1-0.
“We were expecting a much larger loss, so the fact that it was close after only three practices was pretty good,” senior Addy McCombs said.
“Since we are doing a new formation, our attacking players need to figure out how to work with each other to be successful,” Gholamy added.
Despite the loss, the team remains optimistic for the rest of the season, especially with such a young group. “Our team is a bunch of freshmen and sophomores, so it’s a whole new squad with a bright future,” Kunihiro said.
The Bears will travel to face the Carlmont Scots on Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
